For young would-be tourists as well as students of nature's more fanciful imaginary reaches, the next best thing to an...
Free-floating imagination meets artistic expertise in this visual record of the exotic flora, fauna and (more or less) human residents encountered on an unexpected visit to an elusive island.
Messenger extends his available space with one or two side flaps on nearly every spread and proceeds to fill it all. He provides formally posed, elaborately detailed images of such rare creatures as the tentacled Octofrog and the two-headed Double Cream Cow, along with plants like the Chocolate Tree (in a cutaway view to reveal its peppermint fondant center), a Pasta Tree and the grasping, sinister Tree of Horrible Hands. He also portrays such not-quite-natural features as the aptly named Spooky Dark Mountains and vocal Book Mountain. The brightly striped houses of the friendly, pig-footed local settlers cluster around the foot of the latter. The author points out odd behaviors and special features in chatty explanatory captions throughout, and he also notes that the island is hard to find because it will, without warning, extend legs and wander off. As indeed, it did to him in a moment of inattention.
For young would-be tourists as well as students of nature's more fanciful imaginary reaches, the next best thing to an actual visit. (Picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6021-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An educational narrative guide to different methods of fabric production.
Ten-year-old sisters learn how to make clothes for their dolls in Mical and Assaf Rezoni’s illustrated children’s book.
On their tenth birthday, twins Maya and Rumi receive a pair of dolls respectively named Jade and Miri as a gift from a family friend. The two girls feel that Miri and Jade’s clothes are too old-fashioned, so they set out to make their own one-of-a-kind homemade outfits from scratch. Inspired by a class project from several years ago, Maya and Rumi acquire black silkworm eggs from the Albuquerque Zoo and feed them leaves from a mulberry tree in their front yard. Rumi is shocked to learn that harvesting silk may require boiling the worms alive in their cocoons, so the twins instead research a more humane method…that disappointingly doesn’t result in very much silk. The girls then turn to cotton, which they plant in their backyard, but it grows much too slowly. “We might turn eleven before the cotton plants [mature] into cotton fiber,” Rumi moans. However, the girls persevere, and together they are able to process enough yarn to make a sweater and a scarf for Miri. They spot their father leaving the house with a box of used clothing, which they reuse to make Miri and Jade items to go with their existing homespun pieces. The Rezonis carefully detail each step of Maya and Rumi’s operation in a thoughtful, educational manner that highlights just how hard it truly is to make cloth. While their color illustrations of the children and dolls can seem unpleasantly uncanny, the portrayal of the steps of boiling silk and a diagram detailing the stages of cotton-growing appear to be well researched. This short debut book successfully conveys a message about the importance of being environmentally conscious and reusing fabric during clothing production; the story addresses a gap in children’s narrative nonfiction in a way that enterprising young readers will likely enjoy.
An educational narrative guide to different methods of fabric production.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2024
ISBN: 9781665764704
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 11, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A heartfelt but underdeveloped early chapter book for budding entomologists.
A young girl conquers her fears with the help of her grandfather and his beehives in Jennings’ debut work of fiction.
Sophie Moon loves to visit her grandpa in his rural cabin, where, one spring, he has a surprise for her: He’s going to start cultivating honeybees. It’s not the puppy Sophie was hoping for, but she’s excited to learn about these fascinating insects and writes down facts in her special Doodle Notes book (excerpts of which readers get to see at the top of each chapter). As the two work together to prepare the bees’ new home, Sophie reveals that she wants to make a presentation at school about this new adventure, yet she’s afraid of public speaking. She’s also nervous about returning to class to face the enigmatic new girl who is ignored by the other kids. “‘Why don’t we suit up and whisper to the bees. They’ll hear you and mayhap give you advice,’ [Grandpa] said smiling.” When Sophie returns to visit her grandpa in the summer, she brings her new friend and classmate, Catalina, whose own life is made difficult by her mother’s abusive boyfriend. Over the course of two more seasons, Sophie’s relationships and fears ebb and flow, but she’s always able to turn to the bees for advice. While Sophie’s trajectory toward fostering interpersonal trust and self-confidence is clear, the characters around her don’t see similar development over the course of the story. However, while the human characters may be lacking, the bees are an excellent vehicle for personal growth, and the facts contained in the Doodle Notes, though unsupported by a bibliography, are interesting and educational. Jennings’ chapter book is unfortunately light on details about its human characters; it includes no information on Sophie’s age or appearance and has no illustrations, despite their appropriateness for audiences at this reading level.
A heartfelt but underdeveloped early chapter book for budding entomologists.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 30, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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