In this multicultural mashup, the duo behind Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella (2007) weaves a wonderfully chaotic creation story.
It all begins with darkness. Fleischman’s retelling then slips through bits and pieces of creation tales culled from cultures originating in Egypt, Mali, the Banks Islands, Israel, and many other geographical locations. Commonalities and unifying themes among the disparate stories soon arise. These threads depend on the details: the first humans born from the tears of the sun god, Ra (Egypt), Quat making the first humans out of wood and bringing them to life with the beat of a drum (Banks Islands), and so on. Woven together, the tales both contrast against and emphasize one another’s specificities. Much of the cohesiveness is due to Paschkis’ folk-art illustrations, which once again shine. Bold lines and vibrant colors characterize most spreads; curves, sharp diagonal lines, and other striking shapes coalesce as each scene spills into the next. One particular double-page spread depicting human-caused destruction (Mozambique) and an angry God setting fire to the earth (Gabon) embodies this pictorial unity to an electrifying degree. Yet the narrative stumbles a bit under its weight. Certain scenes flow better together, while others pull attention in different directions. Still, this wide canvas amazes.
An origin tale as messy as humans can be. (author’s note) (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62779-101-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
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A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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