A celebratory tale that doesn’t quite hit the mark.
A young Indian girl struggles to find her voice and courage in the face of uncertainty.
Raaga loves to sing and to listen to her grandfather’s stories. She especially loves hearing about the origins of Diwali, a holiday that honors Lord Rama’s victorious return to his kingdom after vanquishing the demon Ravana. Raaga, whose name means melody, hopes to conquer her own fears of singing in front of an audience at the Royal Palace on Diwali. While unkind comments about her dark skin made her shy away in the past, this year Raaga feels brave enough to try. Encouraged by her grandfather and her faith in Lord Rama, she practices every day, building up an admiring audience. On the day of the audition, Raaga is unnerved by mean-spirited comments from the judges. As her courage falters, her friends cheer her on, and she proves herself. Laudably, Chhabria highlights a young girl’s insecurities in the face of colorism as well as the power of loved ones and one’s faith. However, the narrative, which appears to be set in olden times, also includes a few modern touches that feel jarring. The author’s attempts to draw parallels between Raaga’s voice and Lord Rama’s arrow and army seem forced. Though a bit static, the illustrations feature people of many different hues of brown; effective use of contrasting color reflects Raaga’s budding confidence. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A celebratory tale that doesn’t quite hit the mark. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780762482245
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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