A gentle, glowing lesson that even the smallest efforts can lead to large, even environmental results.
A tiny mermaid who yearns for grown-up work patiently completes a task that transforms her world.
For her fable about patience and perseverance, Idle has created stunning watery spreads full of curves reflecting the gently scalloped edges of the giant clam that is Pearl’s home. Done with colored pencils in shades of pink and white for the mermaid and soft blues fading to green sea, these suggest an animator’s dream. Her ocean has breaking waves, softly colored coral reefs, “towering forests of kelp,” and a giant—but never threatening—octopus. The tiny grain of sand Pearl’s mother gives her to care for seems insignificant in comparison, but with time, careful nurturing, and polishing, it grows and glows, finally taking its place in the night sky to light up her world. The lyrical text perfectly matches these stunning illustrations. As Pearl and her mother “[swim] up…and up…and up…” the figures rise and the color of the sea lightens. Disappointment at the seemingly trivial task she’s assigned weighs her “down…down…down,” and she slowly sinks back into darker depths. After many scenes showing the small mermaid in a larger sea, a close-up of her face as she discovers the sand’s potential emphasizes her new understanding. Careful word choice and thoughtful phrasing make this a pleasure to read aloud.
A gentle, glowing lesson that even the smallest efforts can lead to large, even environmental results. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-46567-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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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