What begins as a real pickle ends up as a charmingly fruitful journey.
Avocado's identity crisis—fruit or vegetable or what?!—leads to witty self-discovery.
In her whimsical picture-book debut, British Japanese author and illustrator Abe transforms the humble grocery store into a stage of mirthful drama for Avocado. Nestled happily among other anthropomorphized produce, Avocado’s contentment is shaken when it overhears a young customer wonder aloud, “Is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable?” What ensues is a tale that will entertain young readers for its witty wordplay as Avocado sets off around the supermarket trying to find out where (and to whom) it belongs. Having no luck in the seafood, canned goods, and dairy aisles, Avocado’s despair is assuaged by a new friend: Tomato. “You don’t know what you are? So what!” the plump, oft-miscategorized foodstuff opines. “Don’t stew in your own juices. I’m a fruit, but no one believes me. And I. Don’t. Care.” Thanks to Tomato’s wisdom-turned-cheerleading, Avocado learns that labels don’t often fit everyone perfectly, but “who cares what we are when we’re simply AMAZING?” Humans rarely feature in this food-centric tale, but when they appear, they have bright yellow or dark brown skin. Pairing Abe’s sophisticated, graphic illustrations with themes of identity and self-confidence, this amusing book will tickle ribs and provoke thought in equal measure. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.8-by-18.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 18% of actual size.)
What begins as a real pickle ends up as a charmingly fruitful journey. (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-17793-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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