An unintended ableist viewpoint mars a playful examination of the difference between needs and desires.
A tangible way to help younger kids look at an economic principle.
An unseen narrator defines needsas “something you cannot survive without.” Robots need “batteries for power. Arms to do work. Legs to move. Oil so they run smoothly.” Smiling, appealing, anthropomorphized automatons begin to understand the difference between wants and needs as they think about their desires: “fancy sunglasses, jelly-bean tacos, unicorn hats, and golden ukuleles.” Then the concept of trading comes into play. How can one robot acquire a coveted object owned by another? The red robot gives away their oil for a shirt, barters their arms and legs for boots and a remote-controlled platypus, and exchanges their battery for a cake. Eventually, the red robot ends up slumped over the cake, smoke emanating from their body (“What a mess! See what happens when you don’t balance your wants and needs?”). Rex did an admirable job explaining important concepts in a fun way with Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots (2020), but he stumbles here by referring to arms and legs as needs. Since the robots are human stand-ins, the book inadvertently implies that those with limb differences are living lesser lives. The author makes his point, but using needs other than limbs—a dry environment, programming—might have been just as effective and more empathetic. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An unintended ableist viewpoint mars a playful examination of the difference between needs and desires. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-53009-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes.
Oscar winner McConaughey offers intriguing life observations.
The series of pithy, wry comments, each starting with the phrase “Just because,” makes clear that each of us is a mass of contradictions: “Just because we’re friends, / doesn’t mean you can’t burn me. / Just because I’m stubborn, / doesn’t mean that you can’t turn me.” Witty, digitally rendered vignettes portray youngsters diverse in terms of race and ability (occasionally with pets looking on) dealing with everything from friendship drama to a nerve-wracking footrace. “Just because I’m dirty, / doesn’t mean I can’t get clean” is paired with an image of a youngster taking a bath while another character (possibly an older sibling) sits nearby, smiling. “Just because you’re nice, / doesn’t mean you can’t get mean” depicts the older one berating the younger one for tracking mud into the house. The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it. Perhaps, after studying the illustrations and gaining further insight into the comments, kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. / Because every day is a gift, / each one a new surprise. BELIEVE IT.” As a follow-up, readers should be encouraged to make their own suggestions to complete the titular phrase. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593622032
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...
Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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