Readers will dance in their dreams.
A chorus of drums, woodwinds, strings, creoles and indigenous languages will delight the ears at bedtime.
The rich sounds collected by Soussana travel between the West African coast and the Caribbean. From the dark and painful history of slavery and colonization, these lullabies give melody and rhythm to cultural values, traditions, fables, and familial struggles shared by the diaspora. “Lóba” speaks of the wonders of nature and calls on the people to protect it. “Oyiri Marie” tells the story of a hairdresser and a man who turns into a lion. In “Hormiguita Retozona,” an ant has every excuse not to help her mother do chores. The book provides further education on the languages spoken and a map of the countries represented; accompanying each song are the lyrics in both English and the original language, along with beautiful illustrations by Gueyfier. African and Afro-Caribbean children adorned in bright prints and patterns dance, play, sleep, and sing across the pages. Other songs have images of indigenous flora and fauna, city skylines, the sea, and the forest. The vibrant colors mirror the diversity of each country and ethnic group, and the tunes are catchy and easy to hum.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-2-924744-53-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: The Secret Mountain
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Will elegantly satisfy the curiosity of children always asking how things work.
This book goes on a journey.
Using simplified explanations, readers trace a book called Special Delivery as it travels from an overseas factory. It’s Jay’s birthday in a little over a month, but the story immediately pivots away from the cheerful, brown-skinned child who has an interest in robots, guitar, and all manner of transportation. The real story starts in a sunlit factory surrounded by trees, with Chinese characters on signs and solar panels on the roof, while smiling people work on an assembly line, pack crates of books onto a truck, and deliver them to a dock to be loaded on a container ship. Many of the diverse workers throughout are named and individualized, personalizing these often opaque systems and subtly teaching children about everything from jobs to international trade networks. Bright, blocky illustrations depict a wide variety of heavy machinery, sure to enthrall children who can’t get enough of trains, boats, and cranes. The story ends with the postal system, a local bookstore, and Jay and his loving family, an excellent reminder of the interconnectedness of things and people. Backmatter provides more details sure to delight nonfiction-obsessed kids who are hungry to learn more about global industry and technology. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Will elegantly satisfy the curiosity of children always asking how things work. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2985-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The poetry may be hit and miss, but the concept is terrific and the illustrations similarly sublime.
A compendium of poems designed to teach the concept of mixing...and, of course, to entertain.
Each of the 13 verses is illustrated with a two-page spread, featuring mostly children doing the mixing. "Glue" shows them combining flour and water to make glue for a classroom art project—"Then mix them, squish them, squoosh them, / 'til you get a sticky goo." In "Bubbles," a girl blocks her brother, who wants to give the dog a bath in the washing machine, advising instead that they "Rub and scrub with soapy water, watch the bubbles fly." "Concrete" shows a workman putting sand, gravel, water and cement into the big mixer, as well as a trio of children putting their prints in the new sidewalk (one gets his shoes stuck): "Concrete starts all soft and slushy, / then gets hard—that's clever." Other topics include a makeshift Martian costume for Halloween, cinnamon toast, a ragtag soccer team, salad dressing, mud, music and bedtime; that is, the routine of checking under the bed, a bedtime story, hug and kiss, etc. "Just one more glass of water, / and one more time to pee, / and one more check beneath the bed / for monsters—wait for me." A brief, helpful afterword suggests teaching possibilities provided by the text.
The poetry may be hit and miss, but the concept is terrific and the illustrations similarly sublime. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-55451-279-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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