Timely, reassuring, and optimistic…for readers in too many locales, very optimistic.
A collective pro bono wish for an end to social distancing.
Giving visual expression to R.J. Palacio’s opening sentiment that rainbows “are always nearby, somewhere beyond our grasp and yet never really beyond our reach,” the racially and culturally diverse (if all U.S.–based) contributors either incorporate rainbows into their full-spread scenes or creatively use a full spectrum palette. Nearly everyone narrowly sticks to the common theme in their actual subjects, however. Elise Parsley leads off with a backyard soiree: “I cannot wait to yak with my neighbors, / and laugh with my neighbors, / and snarf up toasted marshmallows / with my neighbors.” Others echo the feeling with scenes of children throwing a beach ball (Brian Biggs), juggling huge ice cream cones (Molly Idle), dancing around a birthday cake (Sarah Jacoby), or crowding onto a lap (Claire Keane). One simply enjoys “sitting next to strangers on the bus” (Magdalena Mora). Lane Smith thinks outside the box: “Stuck inside, I was forced to put my moon mission on hold,” writes a smiling, brown-skinned young astronaut aboard a spaceship that has been spectacularly tricked out in paint and collage. “At least I had time to rethink my rocket’s paint job.” Oge Mora does go for a broader vision (“My rainbow is a warm hug”) with a tender adult-child clinch, and so likewise Vashti Harrison, depicting a lone child hugging the Earth. Unlike the table of contributors, the art is not arranged alphabetically, and the artists’ bios are, at best, cursory, so the focus throughout is on the art and the warm feelings. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 88 % of actual size.)
Timely, reassuring, and optimistic…for readers in too many locales, very optimistic. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-37521-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: July 8, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child...
Imani endures the insults heaped upon her by the other village children, but she never gives up her dreams.
The Masai girl is tiny compared to the other children, but she is full of imagination and perseverance. Luckily, she has a mother who believes in her and tells her stories that will fuel that imagination. Mama tells her about the moon goddess, Olapa, who wins over the sun god. She tells Imani about Anansi, the trickster spider who vanquishes a larger snake. (Troublingly, the fact that Anansi is a West African figure, not of the Masai, goes unaddressed in both text and author’s note.) Inspired, the tiny girl tries to find new ways to achieve her dream: to touch the moon. One day, after crashing to the ground yet again when her leafy wings fail, she is ready to forget her hopes. That night, she witnesses the adumu, the special warriors’ jumping dance. Imani wakes the next morning, determined to jump to the moon. After jumping all day, she reaches the moon, meets Olapa and receives a special present from the goddess, a small moon rock. Now she becomes the storyteller when she relates her adventure to Mama. The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations have been enhanced digitally, and the night scenes of storytelling and fantasy with their glowing stars and moons have a more powerful impact than the daytime scenes, with their blander colors.
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-934133-57-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mackinac Island Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
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