Carl the car and a passel of automobile friends look forward to some fun in an outdoor park until they are misdirected up the ramp of a parking structure by a sign that reads “PARK HERE.”
Carl ascends the ramp and becomes confused as to why there are no birds, trees, or grass—not to mention friends. When Carl reaches the top level, there are the other cars, all equally upset. This supposed Level 1 early reader has a rhyming narrative and short sentences but very little vocabulary repetition to facilitate learning, introducing new words on each page of text. The storyline itself is intriguing enough; although the initial wordplay may be immediately appreciated by adults, kids may miss the double meaning. Cartoon art of boxy cars in bold colors with large googly eyes for headlights above large smiles or frowns develops the characters. Carl and friends eventually descend the long ramp and arrive at the park they know and love, complete with speed bumps along their racetrack. Young readers might think the parking garage looks like an awful lot of fun and that the mix-up didn’t need any fixing, but kids who love cars as characters should be happy to take this for a spin.
A wayward trip righted, though beginning readers may need some assistance to figure it out. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8075-6366-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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This rocket hopes to take its readers on a birthday blast—but there may or may not be enough fuel.
Once a year, a one-seat rocket shoots out from Earth. Why? To reveal a special congratulatory banner for a once-a-year event. The second-person narration puts readers in the pilot’s seat and, through a (mostly) ballad-stanza rhyme scheme (abcb), sends them on a journey toward the sun, past meteors, and into the Kuiper belt. The final pages include additional information on how birthdays are measured against the Earth’s rotations around the sun. Collingridge aims for the stars with this title, and he mostly succeeds. The rhyme scheme flows smoothly, which will make listeners happy, but the illustrations (possibly a combination of paint with digital enhancements) may leave the viewers feeling a little cold. The pilot is seen only with a 1960s-style fishbowl helmet that completely obscures the face, gender, and race by reflecting the interior of the rocket ship. This may allow readers/listeners to picture themselves in the role, but it also may divest them of any emotional connection to the story. The last pages—the backside of a triple-gatefold spread—label the planets and include Pluto. While Pluto is correctly labeled as a dwarf planet, it’s an unusual choice to include it but not the other dwarfs: Ceres, Eris, etc. The illustration also neglects to include the asteroid belt or any of the solar system’s moons.
A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 31, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-18949-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: David Fickling/Phoenix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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BOOK REVIEW
A found “faraway thing” becomes a turning point in the life of a boy.
“Lucian live[s] with his mother on a windswept shore.” His father has been absent from their lighthouse home for long enough that Lucian worries his real memories of him are fading. After a storm, Lucian combs the beach for what his father had called “faraway things”—objects tossed up by the sea—and finds a cutlass. Thrilled, he plays with it, sweeping and slashing the air. The next day dawns foggy, but when it lifts Lucian spies a stranded sailing ship. As he watches, a rowboat is lowered from the ship and moves toward him. The captain steps ashore, wearing a sheath that matches the cutlass. He tells Lucian the cutlass belongs to him, but in trade, the captain will let Lucian select anything from his treasures. Lucian reluctantly realizes the cutlass belongs to the captain and agrees. At the ship, the captain shows Lucian wonderful things and advises him to “choose wisely.” Lucian does. This bildungsroman’s timeless and slightly otherworldly feel is underscored by its illustrations’ muted, effective palette of earth, sea, and sky tones. Unusual perspectives—an ingenious choice for a muted palette—create visual stimulation, showing views from both above and below the horizon line. Satisfyingly, the endpapers allegorically start and finish the story. The captain has dark skin; Lucian and the others have light skin.
An evocative picture-book bildungsroman with equally atmospheric illustrations. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: June 8, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-49219-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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