Comforting as hugging a beloved stuffed animal.
The ever relevant tale of a beloved stuffed animal.
Teddy is a soft-looking orange bear with striped trousers and little suspenders. Made with love by Grandma, the bear grows up with a little girl they call “My” because it’s her “favorite word.” Readers watch as My grows up through Teddy’s eyes. The two share birthdays and baths together. Teddy has tea parties with the other stuffed animals while My goes to school; later, Teddy accompanies My to camp. But My starts to outgrow her companion, and soon Teddy is often forgotten, left in the car or on the dresser, though they are still a treasured friend to be cuddled when needed. Eventually, illustrations reveal a new family member is expected, and when the baby boy arrives, Teddy is lovingly passed along—after a bath and a few small repairs. Presented in straightforward prose, Nott’s simple story about the unconditional love of a stuffed animal will provide reassurance for anyone outgrowing a comfort object. Kazemi’s illustrations are tenderly rendered in pencil and soft, smudgy pastel and rely on a mix of panels and spreads; these cozy scenes will hold the attention of even the youngest readers. My and her family have pale skin and dark hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Comforting as hugging a beloved stuffed animal. (Picture book. 1-6)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-59270-368-5
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
A sweet reminder that love is best measured in actions.
Even when well-intended plans go awry, sometimes “I love you” is plastered all over one’s face.
Tiny T. Rex wants to make the perfect valentine for friend Pointy, a stegosaurus. It’s a noble ideal, but perfection is more elusive than the little theropod realized. That’s the premise of this charming board book that succinctly celebrates love, friendship, aspiration, perseverance, limitations, and the notion that it’s the thought that counts—especially when it’s clearly reflected in effort. Like its protagonist, this book is small, but it’s rich in value and works on every level. The artwork has an elegant simplicity that beautifully balances color, personality, and clever detail. A panel of Tiny designing the card in chalk on a blackboard, for example, reveals the scale of the little dino’s intentions: a giant heart, ribbons, smaller hearts dangling from springs, heart-shaped balloons, and fireworks, all much larger than Tiny. The project is clearly a labor of love: Tiny sweats, tugging a bucket of paint—“Pointy’s favorite color!”—but the bucket spills on the artist, not the valentine. Trying to make the card “extra fancy,” Tiny is covered in glitter. Tiny rips, snips, and rerips, trying to make the perfect heart; misspells Pointy; and glues springs and hearts all over everything. When Tiny apologizes for having no valentine for Pointy, Pointy recognizes immediately that the perfect valentine is a friend like Tiny.
A sweet reminder that love is best measured in actions. (Board book. 1-5)Pub Date: Dec. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-8489-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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