Though it's not clear whether this is an original or a traditional tale, it's an appealing addition to the pourquoi shelf.
A tale from an Inuit folklorist and her husband explains how the walrus' tusks came to be straight.
Long ago, the tale begins, creatures could draw upon the Land's mystical Strength to take whatever shape they liked. Walrus uses his lovely, long spiraled tusks to scoop clams up from the seabed. Raven, who loves clams, was envious. Not brave enough to change shape to dive for them herself, she just digs "each clam from the icky shore." One day Walrus makes the mistake of mocking Raven, and she uses the Strength of the Land to freeze the walrus in ice; only his head and snout are above its surface. After Raven's protracted gloating, Walrus finally summons the Strength to break free, emerging with red eyes and straight tusks. The Qitsualik-Tinsleys tell an elemental tale, humor and emotions equally broad and visceral. Short sentences both evoke the oral experience and keep the pacing brisk. Brennan's illustrations meld an animation aesthetic with a cool palette appropriate to the setting. They are at their most successful when depicting the tale's emotional high points; Raven's crackling anger is made manifest with lightning bolts, while Walrus' icy fury is barely contained in his looming bulk. Less emotive moments are weaker, but throughout, there's a pleasing child-friendliness.
Though it's not clear whether this is an original or a traditional tale, it's an appealing addition to the pourquoi shelf. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-927095-68-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
Roller-coaster enthusiasts or not, children will eagerly join our intrepid hero on this entertaining ride.
The Pigeon is on an emotional—and physical—roller coaster.
Since learning about the existence of roller coasters, he’s become giddy with excitement. The Pigeon prepares mentally: He’ll need a ticket and “exemplary patience” to wait in line. He envisions zooming up and down and careening through dizzying turns and loops. Then, he imagines his emotions afterward: exhilaration, post-ride blues, pride at having accomplished such a feat, and enthusiasm at the prospect of riding again. (He’ll also feel dizzy and nauseous.) All this before the Pigeon ever sets claw on an actual coaster. So…will he really try it? Are roller coasters fun? When the moment comes, everything seems to go according to plan: waiting in line, settling into the little car, THEN—off he goes! Though the ride itself isn’t quite what the Pigeon expected, it will delight readers. Wearing his feelings on his wing and speaking directly to the audience in first person, the Pigeon describes realistic thoughts and emotions about waiting and guessing about the unknown—common childhood experiences. No sentiment is misplaced; kids will relate to Pigeon’s eagerness and apprehension. The ending falls somewhat flat, but the whole humorous point is that an underwhelming adventure can still be thrilling enough to warrant repeating. Willems’ trademark droll illustrations will have readers giggling. The roller-coaster attendant is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Roller-coaster enthusiasts or not, children will eagerly join our intrepid hero on this entertaining ride. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4549-4686-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
As brilliant as can be.
A sun, a flower, and a lion. They look similar, no?
Introduced in a wordless panel before the title page, the three figures bear at least two shapes in common. They’re also the same combination of warm yellow and (somehow just as warm) white, outlined in thick black line that pops against the muted yellow background. The text, divided into six short chapters, goes on to introduce the figures in isolation: “This is the sun. / Can you see it?” the narrator asks before going on to proclaim that the sun “is as bright as a flower.” When the flower is introduced, it’s compared to a lion. The lion? He isn’t compared to anything but instead smells the flower and warms himself in the sun. In the next chapter, the lion dreams that the flowers are sun-sized cookies. He wakes up hungry and runs home as fast as he can. Can readers spot him on the page? Using a vocabulary of fewer than 60 words and their variants—and a visual vocabulary of even fewer shapes and colors—Henkes creates an impeccably designed story that’s rewarding for toddlers and early readers alike. The repetitive structure and tone call to mind the playful simplicity of Mem Fox and Judy Horacek’s Where Is the Green Sheep? (2004). With imagination at its center, this participatory read-aloud also cleverly introduces the concept of simile (“It looks like a lion”) and metaphor (“The flowers are cookies”).
As brilliant as can be. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-286610-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
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