A good discussion starter on empathy.
A homesick young immigrant collects colorful scraps in an effort to re-create the colors of the home she has left behind.
A muted double-page spread in shades of gray introduces the story, the only touch of color coming from the violet bands holding the braids of a lonely girl on the school playground. From the narrator—another child in the school—readers learn her name is Violet and she is new. They walk home the same way every day, and a quiet, tentative friendship develops between the two. On the walks, Violet picks up colorful cookie wrappers, bits of paper, bottle caps, and leaves, all disappearing into her backpack. When finally asked the purpose of her collection, Violet extends an invitation to her home and reveals a bedroom exploding with lush colors. Every piece of paper, every leaf, has found a place in the vast collage that encompasses all of her room, depicting the sky, beach, palm trees, and village the homesick child misses so much. “I miss the sounds and smells. And I miss the colors.” Where she comes from is not stated, but Violet is Black and is perhaps from the Caribbean or from an African country. Violet having finally confided in someone, readers will see that not just her room, but even the outside is now colorful, and both children are smiling. (Violet’s new friend is also now revealed to have beige skin and straight, dark hair.) Sometimes, that’s all it takes: one person to show interest in a lonely child. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 28.8% of actual size.)
A good discussion starter on empathy. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5341-1105-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...
Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
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BOOK REVIEW
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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