It’s a dark and creepy night, and a boy and girl are supposed to sleeping. Their father is already asleep, and they are not to wake him! When the wind howls, the girl grows alarmed, and her brother calms her down—sort of. He tells her it’s the wind, not a ghost, which naturally brings to mind ghosts. (“Ghosts? Oh no, not ghosts!”) The girl shouldn’t worry about ghosts, though, because her brother says he would dress up like a werewolf to frighten the ghosts away. (“Werewolves? Oh no, not werewolves!”) And he’d bellow like a giant. A Giant? Well, giants can be frightened by demons, of course. Demons? They can be turned to cats by witches. No worries, though, because witches skedaddle when they see skeletons. When the girl is older, she’ll realize that there’s nothing to be afraid of, her brother explains. Except—uh oh—who’s that at the top of the stairs? Repetitive text makes this a strong read-aloud, and the dark pictures have just the right amount of spookiness. A straightforward, humorous tale, perfect for Halloween. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-15-205186-4
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A warm family account that will ring true with many Latinx children.
Little Lucía takes readers on a tour of the house where she lives with her “big, loud, beautiful familia.”
As Lucía moves from space to space, readers meet the many family members that live in or visit the house and all the activities and interactions they have. She enters through la puerta, from which Abuela waves at the neighbors, to la sala, where she makes forts out of sofa cushions with her cousins and the cousins of her cousins. From there, readers travel through la cocina, where on special holidays Abuelo cooks his masterpiece turkey “a la española,” and back outside to el patio, where “I turn the music muy muy alta para bailar y bailar y bailar.” In el baño, “Abuela says, “Sana sana colita de rana!” as she tends to Lucía’s scraped knee. Then there’s el cuarto de mis hermanos, where she sometimes sneaks in “when I need un abrazo extra” from her brothers. She ends the tour at “mi habitación,” which has a bright sign on the door: LUCÍA’S ROOM! This sweet family story will be best enjoyed by readers who speak both Spanish and English, as Lucía uses Spanglish, seamlessly moving back and forth between the two languages. The accompanying illustrations have a charming childlike feel that complements Lucía’s cheer and provides visual context for readers who don’t speak Spanish. Lucía’s family members represents the Latinx community’s racial diversity.
A warm family account that will ring true with many Latinx children. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0943-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Despite the cuteness factor, this one falls short.
Stella is on the hunt for a missing tooth.
Stella, a Black child with Afro puffs whom readers may remember from Stella Keeps the Sun Up (2022), and Roger, a stuffed blue hippo, are on their way to a museum to meet Stella’s pal Owen and see Sue, a T. rex skeleton. But when Stella arrives, Owen (who is tan-skinned) is running away from the museum; as he leaves, he yells out that he lost his tooth. Not understanding the concept of losing baby teeth, Stella and Roger are puzzled. After a brief hunt for the missing tooth, a girl tells Stella to look for the tooth fairy, because that’s who took her own brother’s tooth. The duo search for the tooth fairy, seek out intel from Sue, and listen to a Black museum worker tell them about how dinosaurs often lost teeth. Finally, they find Owen, who fills them in on the truth, and they learn that losing baby teeth means they “will officially be grown-ups.” This is a sweet book with a curious, imaginative, and helpful protagonist. However, the pacing is meandering. Several pages are dedicated to Stella telling readers about Owen before he finally appears. The illustrations are whimsical but a bit flat. Readers will enjoy spotting the tooth fairy who appears on a few pages even though they may question why she never actually makes it into the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Despite the cuteness factor, this one falls short. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8787-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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