It’s a little roundabout, but this friendship tale gets there in the end.
Old Mrs. Tortoise discovers wrinkles. It doesn’t make her day.
Mrs. Tortoise likes to start her morning at the pond to freshen up. This particular day, “she felt like something extraordinary was about to happen to her.” What with this premonition, along with Wimmer’s warm, mystical landscapes, Merlán has set the stage. And that special something is: Mrs. Tortoise’s reflection, which she clearly has never reflected upon. “Her face was wrinkled and her shell looked worn out. It was right then that she felt old and very, very sad.” Her good friend Birdie happens by. Birdie is even more colorful than Mrs. Tortoise’s turtleneck sweater. Seeing she is in the dumps, Birdie tries several spectacular efforts to cheer her up, but none suit. Finally Mrs. Tortoise snaps at Birdie, her rage taking him off his feet. Mrs. Tortoise then gets a serious bout of guilt, then collapses into a deep sleep—giving Birdie the chance to pull a neat trick to brighten Mrs. Tortoise’s next day. Mrs. Tortoise is thrilled, and apologizes for being mean. Birdie accepts. At first it feels that Birdie had to go to a great deal of effort and trouble for—what? an apology?—and that Merlán’s story lacks a reckoning. But the reckoning, and the extraordinary thing, is Birdie going the extra mile for a friend.
It’s a little roundabout, but this friendship tale gets there in the end. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-84-946333-4-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
A cheerful story about a spirited girl who saves the day. What could be better than that?
Tiara enjoys the laughter and warmth in her mother’s millinery shop, but when a store with lower-priced hats comes to town, Tiara must find a way to help her mother get her spark—and her customers—back.
“We can’t eat dreams,” Momma tells Daddy and Tiara as they pack up the hat studio and her hopes. Because she can no longer sell hats, Momma accepts a job as an art teacher at Tiara’s school, Height Elementary (a nod, perhaps, to activist Dorothy I. Height, renowned for her hats). Tiara encourages her mother to begin making hats again, but Momma is not ready to talk about or work with hats. One Friday afternoon, in an art class, however, Tiara and the other children convince Momma to allow them to make hats. When Momma helps Tiara’s friend Matti adjust hers, Tiara has an idea that just might remind Momma of the passion she had for hat-making and the joy her hats brought to so many. With this touching tale of tradition and can-do spirit, Lyons interweaves an important element of the African American experience into a well-told story. Tadgell’s illustrations are mostly pastels with punches of bright color, especially on the hats, and have a pleasant dreamlike quality.The author’s note provides background on the African American hat tradition, including a mention of Crowns, by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry (2000).
A cheerful story about a spirited girl who saves the day. What could be better than that? (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8075-7945-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Girl science power and new friendships make for a good combination.
In Fliess’ update, Mary is an inventive scientist, but she’s a lonely one.
“Mary had a little lab. / She tested and created. / While other kids were at the park, / she built and calculated.” The window of her lab provides views of the kids’ fun, and they inspire her to make a friend. Literally. She bikes to a farm for a snip of wool and heads back to use her latest invention: the Sheepinator. The resultant pet is everything she could hope for, not only providing companionship, but also helping out around the house and lab. And when he follows her to school, the kids all ask for their own wooly friends. What could possibly go wrong? Bouloubasis’ hysterical illustrations show the chaos that ensues, but the scientist and her new human friends think of a clever solution that leaves the whole town satisfied…and warm. Fliess’ verses include enough of the original poem (but tweaked) to tickle readers’ funny bones, and the rhyme and rhythm are spot-on. Mary is a wild-haired white redhead who is depicted as safety-conscious (bike helmet, ear protection, rubber gloves, etc.); the other kids are a diverse group. Most diverse (and somewhat distracting) of all are the noses on their faces—all sizes, shapes, and colors.
Girl science power and new friendships make for a good combination. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8075-4982-7
Page Count: 37
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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