An imaginative fantasy that gives readers plenty of room to roam.
A family moves into a new house, and a child finds a playmate.
Cornelia is not a fan of the family’s new multistory Victorian house, with its copious antiques and dearth of playmates. The parents suggest having “a look around outside” instead. Sporting a blue cape, Cornelia and a scruffy dog companion wander into the tall surrounding trees. They find a ladder, climb into the treetops, and find a marvelous branched-out treehouse. Lounging in a hammock on the porch is Fredrik, who welcomes them and shows off many inventions: There are hanging, bed-sized nests of pillows and cranks for watering hard-to-reach plants—but “the best” is a “Jungle Machine.” After some wheel-twisting and button-pushing, tropical plants emerge from gramophone-like horns, sprouting into a full jungle, complete with swinging vines, a river, and a red-plumed bird large enough to ride. After some adventuring, Cornelia returns home more optimistic about the new living situation. The matter-of-fact, largely wordless text provides only a slight lift beyond the unexplained, implausible circumstances, but it also allows readers’ minds to wander through the fantastical possibilities. Characters present white; the eye patch–wearing Fredrik has the demeanor of an arboreal Pippi Longstocking. The pictures are intricately lined and rich with detail. Expansive images push beyond their edges to make grand use of the tall, rectangular trim.
An imaginative fantasy that gives readers plenty of room to roam. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-776572-59-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories.
What does Annie want to be?
As career day approaches, Annie wants to keep her job choice secret until her family sees her presentation at school. Readers will figure it out, however, through the title and clues Tadgell incorporates into the illustrations. Family members make guesses about her ambitions that are tied to their own passions, although her brother watches as she completes her costume in a bedroom with a Mae Jemison poster, starry décor, and a telescope. There’s a celebratory mood at the culminating presentation, where Annie says she wants to “soar high through the air” like her basketball-playing mother, “explore faraway places” like her hiker dad, and “be brave and bold” like her baker grandmother (this feels forced, but oven mitts are part of her astronaut costume) so “the whole world will hear my exciting stories” like her reporter grandfather. Annie jumps off a chair to “BLAST OFF” in a small illustration superimposed on a larger picture depicting her floating in space with a reddish ground below. It’s unclear if Annie imagines this scene or if it’s her future-self exploring Mars, but either scenario fits the aspirational story. Backmatter provides further reading suggestions and information about the moon and four women astronauts, one of whom is Jemison. Annie and her family are all black.
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-88448-523-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative.
What can a worm do?
A little worm sets off on a “twirl” to “see the world.” But when it overhears a human referring to it as “just a worm,” its feelings are hurt. The worm asks other critters—including a caterpillar, a spider, a dragonfly—what they can do. After each answer (turn into a butterfly, spin silk thread, fly), the worm becomes more and more dejected because it can’t do any of these things. “Maybe I am just a worm.” But then the worm encounters a ladybug, who eats aphids and other insects, and the worm realizes that it eats dead plants and animals and keeps gardens clean. And though the worm can’t pollinate like the bee, it does create castings (poop) that help plants grow and stay healthy. These abilities, the worm realizes in triumph, are important! The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. It doesn’t hurt that the expressive little worm is downright adorable, with emotions that will resonate with anyone who has felt unimportant. The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper—a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes—which adds sparkle and originality. A tutorial of how to make a quilled butterfly and a page on earthworm facts round out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-321256-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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