A delightfully funny and warmhearted friendship tale.
A mermaid’s friends find a way to include her in a soccer game in this picture book.
Six friends of various races love to hang out together in a clubhouse and play tabletop or video games: James, the story’s narrator; Eric; Duran; Santiago; Bran; and Kris, the only girl, who also happens to be a mermaid. After the clubhouse ceiling falls down, the cohorts turn to outdoor games, but Kris can’t manage them; in football, for example, “when tackled, she slips twenty yards.” When a rival crew shows up and challenges them to soccer, James insists that Kris won’t just cheer from the sidelines: “She’s in, and she’ll play, and we’ll win!” Hanging from the goal’s top pole, Kris uses her powerful tail to block almost every ball, handing her team a decisive victory. Kolding tells his story in rollicking verse that scans and rhymes well, with some amusing nonsense, such as the game of “Flurmasmic Pageezans.” In addition, the book teaches a subtle but effective lesson about inclusivity and friendship. The characters might be older than the intended audience, with James planning to take Kris to a dance, but readers are unlikely to mind. The uncredited digital illustrations have kinetic verve that matches the text’s energy.
A delightfully funny and warmhearted friendship tale.Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2020
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 27
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative.
What can a worm do?
A little worm sets off on a “twirl” to “see the world.” But when it overhears a human referring to it as “just a worm,” its feelings are hurt. The worm asks other critters—including a caterpillar, a spider, a dragonfly—what they can do. After each answer (turn into a butterfly, spin silk thread, fly), the worm becomes more and more dejected because it can’t do any of these things. “Maybe I am just a worm.” But then the worm encounters a ladybug, who eats aphids and other insects, and the worm realizes that it eats dead plants and animals and keeps gardens clean. And though the worm can’t pollinate like the bee, it does create castings (poop) that help plants grow and stay healthy. These abilities, the worm realizes in triumph, are important! The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. It doesn’t hurt that the expressive little worm is downright adorable, with emotions that will resonate with anyone who has felt unimportant. The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper—a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes—which adds sparkle and originality. A tutorial of how to make a quilled butterfly and a page on earthworm facts round out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-321256-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
Quietly contemplative and thoroughly lovely.
A child finds adventure and a change of perspective on a dreary day.
Clouds cover everything in a palette of unending gray, creating a sense of ennui and gloom. A child stands alone, head down, feeling as gray as the day, and decides to ride through town on an old bike. Pops of color throughout the grayscale illustrations go unnoticed—there are yellow leaves scattered about, and the parking lot is filled with bright yellow buses, but this child, who has skin the grayish white of the page, sees only the empty playground, creaky swings, a sad merry-go-round, and lonely seesaws. But look—there’s a narrow winding path just beyond the fence, something to explore. There are things to be noticed, leaves to be crunched, and discoveries to be made. Imagination takes over, along with senses of wonderment and calm, as the child watches a large blue bird fly over the area. The ride home is quite different, joyful and filled with color previously ignored, reaffirming the change in the rider’s outlook. The descriptive, spare text filled with imagery and onomatopoeia is well aligned with well-rendered art highlighting all the colors that brighten the not-so-gray day and allowing readers to see what the protagonist struggles to understand, that “anything can happen…on a gray day.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Quietly contemplative and thoroughly lovely. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781797210896
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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