Exuberant pictures express parental love, which makes species, gender, size, biology, and even the bars of an enclosure...
A morose tiger, frustrated by life in an enclosure, finds renewed purpose when a turquoise egg falls into his care.
Herman, the tiger, takes to paternity quickly, “very carefully…wrapp[ing] his soft, furry tail around the egg.” Hunched and focused, he weaves a nest from straw and “the softest hairs from his chest.” Children will giggle at the hulking tiger’s loving, ludicrous posture as he stands on two feet, willing dexterity into his cumbersome paws and claws, bent in concentration. Matte watercolors (buttercup yellows, teal greens, and fuchsia reds) delight as well, making joyous striations as branches, bark, water, ground, leaves, fur. Vivid, multidirectional, and abundant, the cheerful clash of colors captures the teeming life and sound inside the animal enclosure. Creatures peer, gawk, and interject throughout, making readers aware of the inescapable closeness of captivity. In the background of one spread, a pale caretaker cleans up a pile of animal bones using a broom and wheelbarrow—a small, grim reminder that sadness and death live here too. Young life and adoptive love, thankfully, cast a golden light across the pages of this endearing book from the moment the egg cracks. The hatchling emerges (a yellow-and-black pompom with enormous black eyes on two long stick legs), and Herman sees his “little tiger bird.” Soon, the baby bird learns to roar.
Exuberant pictures express parental love, which makes species, gender, size, biology, and even the bars of an enclosure irrelevant. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4319-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A surprisingly nuanced lesson set in confidence-building, easy-to-decode text.
A unicorn learns a friendship lesson in this chapter-book series opener.
Unicorn Bo has friends but longs for a “bestie.” Luckily, a new unicorn pops into existence (literally: Unicorns appear on especially starry nights) and joins Bo at the Sparklegrove School for Unicorns, where they study things like unicorn magic. Each unicorn has a special power; Bo’s is granting wishes. Not knowing what his own might be distresses new unicorn Sunny. When the week’s assignment is to earn a patch by using their unicorn powers to help someone, Bo hopes Sunny will wish to know Bo's power (enabling both unicorns to complete the task, and besides, Bo enjoys Sunny’s company and wants to help him). But when the words come out wrong, Sunny thinks Bo was feigning friendship to get to grant a wish and earn a patch, setting up a fairly sophisticated conflict. Bo makes things up to Sunny, and then—with the unicorns friends again and no longer trying to force their powers—arising circumstances enable them to earn their patches. The cheerful illustrations feature a sherbet palette, using patterns for texture; on busy pages with background colors similar to the characters’ color schemes, this combines with the absence of outlines to make discerning some individual characters a challenge. The format, familiar to readers of Elliott’s Owl Diaries series, uses large print and speech bubbles to keep pages to a manageable amount of text.
A surprisingly nuanced lesson set in confidence-building, easy-to-decode text. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-32332-0
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
A tasty holiday confection.
Actor Witherspoon’s latest sees her exuberant young hero returning to celebrate the holidays.
Realizing that it’s nearly Christmas, Busy Betty launches into a brainstorming whirlwind; Betty wants to buy the perfect gifts but lacks the necessary funds. Last summer, Betty and best friend Mae had good luck running a lemonade stand, so the kids start a Christmas cookie stand. But chilly temperatures keep prospective customers away even after Betty and Mae sing loud, creative Christmas carols to get people’s attention and build snowpeople to create the illusion of customers. When Betty’s dog, Frank, accidentally crashes the stand and ruins the beautiful treats, a distraught Betty is sure that “Christmas is ruined!” But upon discovering one intact cookie, Betty has a great idea and dashes to the kitchen to whip up some perfect presents. On Christmas morning, Betty’s homemade gifts are scrumptious and tailor-made for their recipients—a holiday success! Though the story is slightly predictable, Betty’s inimitable voice (“Sweet cinnamon biscuits, it’s Christmas!”) sets it apart; Witherspoon ably captures the emotional extremes that young children often grapple with. Yan’s illustrations effectively portray the steps of Betty’s journey, using a vivid palette of greens and pinks and a dynamic use of perspective to keep wiggly young readers entranced. An appended recipe for cookie bars encourages readers to follow Betty’s worthy example. Busy Betty presents white; Mae is tan-skinned with dark hair.
A tasty holiday confection. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780593525159
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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