A delectable celebration that will warm readers from the inside out.
A young girl and her family unpack their feelings about a recent move with the help of a familiar holiday.
Weiwei wakes to an unusually cold Dōngzhì, a Chinese festival that marks the winter solstice. Soft blurred lines and deftly blended cool colors portray the dissatisfied Weiwei wrapped in a blanket as snowy hills loom outside her window. It’s a vast contrast from how she spent the holiday last year, and as she reminisces about her old home, readers see glowing scenes of Weiwei romping amid palm trees as she chases hummingbirds. Now, “it’s too cold for a screen on the door.” But with some prodding from Yeye (Grandfather), the family bundles up for a wintry stroll outside, where they see signs of hope springing eternal. Brushes and splatters of colors add to the overall coziness as Weiwei enjoys the scenery and excitedly spots “méihuā, plum blossoms!” Back home, the family prepares tāng yuán. Chan’s gentle, sensory-rich narrative describes Weiwei and her family kneading black sesame, rice flour, and other ingredients into a “pillow of dough,” which is then served in a ginger broth. After honoring the ancestors, Yeye, who emigrated from China to the United States years ago, delicately acknowledges the struggles of moving, helping Weiwei realize the potential for making memories in her new home surrounded by family.
A delectable celebration that will warm readers from the inside out. (author’s note, recipe for black sesame tāng yuán) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781547614844
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers.
Two little rats decide to show the world how tough they are, with unpredictable results.
Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to be just like their single dad, Big Lou: tough! They know that “tough” means doing mean things to other animals, like stealing Chad Badgerton’s hat. Chad Badgerton is a big badger, so taking that hat from him proves that Louie and Ralphie are just as tough as they want to be. However, it turns out that Louie and Ralphie have just done a good deed instead of a bad one: Chad Badgerton had taken that hat from little Tiny Crawley, a mouse, so when Tiny reclaims it, they are celebrated for goodness rather than toughness. Sadly, every attempt Louie and Ralphie make at doing mean things somehow turns nice. What’s a little boy rat supposed to do to be tough? Plus, they worry about what their dad will say when he finds out how good they’ve been. But wait! Maybe their dad has some other ideas? LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books. Each of the first six chapters features a new, failed attempt by Louie and Ralphie to be mean, and the final, seventh chapter resolves everything nicely. The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers’ sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos’ “unwelcome” mat.
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7636-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones.
Hill and Bobbiesi send a humungous hug from grandmothers to their granddaughters everywhere.
Delicate cartoon art adds details to the rhyming text showing multigenerational commonalities. “You and I are alike in such wonderful ways. / You will see more and more as you grow” (as grandmother and granddaughter enjoy the backyard together); “I wobbled uncertainly just as you did / whenever I tried something new” (as a toddler takes first steps); “And if a bad dream woke me up in the night, / I snuggled up with my lovey too” (grandmother kisses granddaughter, who clutches a plush narwhal). Grandmother-granddaughter pairs share everyday joys like eating ice cream, dancing “in the rain,” and making “up silly games.” Although some activities skew stereotypically feminine (baking, yoga), a grandmother helps with a quintessential volcano experiment (this pair presents black, adding valuable STEM representation), another cheers on a young wheelchair athlete (both present Asian), and a third, wearing a hijab, accompanies her brown-skinned granddaughter on a peace march, as it is “important to speak out for what you believe.” The message of unconditional love is clear throughout: “When you need me, I’ll be there to listen and care. / There is nothing that keeps us apart.” The finished book will include “stationery…for a special letter from Grandma to you!”
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0623-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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