A charming introduction to the meaning and value of childhood dreams.
A child’s big, blue fluffy dream fills Vidalón’s book.
The sentient, smiling dream gives Penelope a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and in return, Penelope takes good care of it. As Penelope’s dream develops it grows so big that it begins to overwhelm Penelope’s life: It is too big to fit in cars, can’t get through doorways, and gets in the way of play dates. Penelope’s friends laugh at the size of her dream, which leaves her feeling embarrassed, so she decides to leave her dream in her bedroom from then on. Still, Penelope looks forward to seeing her dream at the end of each day. Soon the dream, feeling neglected, starts to shrink. One day Penelope comes home and can’t find her dream. She searches everywhere, finally finding the tiny blue puffy ball hiding in her dresser drawer. Penelope decides to again make room for her dream in her daily life no matter what people say. The author never explains exactly what Penelope’s dream is, nor whether it represents a specific life goal or simply a sense of hope: “After all, we all have a dream….” This ambiguity invites young readers to explore their own dreams and identify what they care about and why. The author’s own illustrations of Penelope with her fair skin and her cloudlike dream are bold and colorful, and the text is straightforward, occasionally employing fun typography for emphasis.
A charming introduction to the meaning and value of childhood dreams.Pub Date: March 20, 2023
ISBN: 9798987991404
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground.
A little red sleigh has big Christmas dreams.
Although the detailed, full-color art doesn’t anthropomorphize the protagonist (which readers will likely identify as a sled and not a sleigh), a close third-person text affords the object thoughts and feelings while assigning feminine pronouns. “She longed to become Santa’s big red sleigh,” reads an early line establishing the sleigh’s motivation to leave her Christmas-shop home for the North Pole. Other toys discourage her, but she perseveres despite creeping self-doubt. A train and truck help the sleigh along, and when she wishes she were big, fast, and powerful like them, they offer encouragement and counsel patience. When a storm descends after the sleigh strikes out on her own, an unnamed girl playing in the snow brings her to a group of children who all take turns riding the sleigh down a hill. When the girl brings her home, the sleigh is crestfallen she didn’t reach the North Pole. A convoluted happily-ever-after ending shows a note from Santa that thanks the sleigh for giving children joy and invites her to the North Pole next year. “At last she understood what she was meant to do. She would build her life up spreading joy, one child at a time.” Will she leave the girl’s house to be gifted to other children? Will she stay and somehow also reach ever more children? Readers will be left wondering. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 31.8% of actual size.)
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72822-355-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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