A multitalented family of googly-eyed bugs lives underneath the Grand Variety Theatre. They're called roly-polies; or, more properly, the Poly family. They're only an inch tall, with big eyes, a snout, feelers and 16 legs. (The two each stands on wear shoes.) Carretero's breakdown of roly-poly anatomy resembles a lab chart. For ease of movement, they can roll up into a ball. Like their aboveground human counterparts, the roly-polies are savvy performers, each with unique, brightly colored ensembles. They include: Maggie the Mouth, a captivating storyteller; Castor and Eurydice, dramatic superstars of the stage; lounge singer Ramon Bonbon, who sports a Salvador Dalí moustache; dancer Glamorous Gabrielle; magicians Izzy and Whizzy; and many more. One day, a visitor changes their lives forever. A flamboyant flea named Hopping Henrietta arrives on a messenger pigeon all the way from Moscow and exhorts the roly-polies to see the world as travelling performers. Henrietta is an artists' agent, you see. At last, the Poly family is able to fulfill great-great Grandpa's dream to have their own troupe! Carretero's imagination is loopy and delicious; her cheeky, multi-colored illustrations have a dash of Gahan Wilson. As the bulk of the book is set up and description of the different bugs, it's awfully light on actual story. An excess of whimsy doesn't make up for absence of plot. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-84-938240-1-3
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Cuento de Luz
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2011
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape.
The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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