Excellent use of scale and texture capture a child’s out-of-control emotions
Angry without knowing why, a boy stomps away from his house and neighborhood.
One day, Angus wakes up angry. Pink-skinned, blue-eyed, and way too big for his bed, Angus scowls with off-kilter eyebrows. The room tips diagonally, and the dresser’s upside-down as if planted on the ceiling. Angus’ anger is so big, it’s distorting his physical world. Enormous with anger, he bleeds off the page. He can’t bear his mother’s admonition against rudeness, so he leaves. One stride covers a whole block of his neighborhood. But as this giant nears the city’s center, he begins to shrink. Among the city’s skyscrapers, Angus is kid-sized and vulnerable, a visual bright spot in a murky-colored, jam-packed city that readers see from a tiny-child vantage point. Gray crosshatchings that covered Angus’ skin and clothing when he was angry at home have fallen off him, now covering adults who loom everywhere, ominous because they’re strangers. A woman supposedly “smiles,” but the illustration shows no smile; instead, food hangs from the fat woman’s mouth, and she appears grotesque and frightening. Towering buildings are patterned and slanted. Kulikov uses acrylic washes, pencil, pen, ink, oil pastel, and black-tea wash to full emotional effect. The city is “busier, noisier, wider, darker” than home—but Angus may be less alone than he thinks.
Excellent use of scale and texture capture a child’s out-of-control emotions . (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: July 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-59768-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Perfect for every underdog who wants to have a say.
A dog-loving child encourages a less-than-enthusiastic younger one to imagine they’re both canines.
From the first declaration—“I’d be a big dog! And you’d be a little one!”—readers know who’s calling the shots. Initially, the protagonists cavort off the page and through the neighborhood together, performing doggy capers such as tail wagging, stick carrying, and dirt digging. But by the time they encounter a multitude of like-minded creatures at the dog park, the disgruntled small pup is exhibiting out-and-out rebellion: “Being a dog is YOUR idea! Sometimes I HAVE IDEAS TOO!” The narrative wraps up with the younger child pretending to be a different animal entirely—cleverly foreshadowed through subtle details in the illustrations. Even the endpapers—lively silhouettes of dogs in the beginning and many different animals in closing—extend the theme to suggest the imaginative possibilities of pretend play. Cheerful, lightly hued colors fit the whimsical mood, while expressive body language allows the art to tell the story with a minimum of words. Ending on a surprising note, with a sweet compromise between the two main characters, the tale gives both kids the freedom to embrace their own preferences and styles—while still enjoying their game.
Perfect for every underdog who wants to have a say. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9780316581721
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
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