Entertaining and instructive for the playground set.
Sitting still on the ground, alone, Ball wishes he could soar like Balloon. Suddenly he’s thrown, bounced, rolled, passed, and kicked in a fantastic playground pickup game, and he sees what’s fantastic about being himself.
Children encounter other crucial lifelong lessons in this engaging picture book about two simple objects that give young people unending pleasure. Apostrophic lines give Ball and Balloon expressions children can easily interpret: embarrassment, smugness, surprise, pride, exhilaration, discouragement, love, satisfaction, and reciprocity. When Ball tries to roll and bounce on his own but can’t, Balloon taunts from above, calling, “The sky’s the limit.…Ta-ta, Ball!” Both Ball’s impotent dejection and Balloon’s glib gloating (so vividly depicted in distilled language and nuanced facial expressions against a white backdrop) arrive as arrows to readers’ hearts, which will recognize both feelings as their own. Digitally compiled mixed-media illustrations offer varied perspectives, from way above the basketball hoop to down at the asphalt, as well as lots of movement, with Ball whizzing and Balloon floating. The cleanliness and clarity of these illustrations facilitate a focus on feelings. Children glean fundamental lessons in empathy, navigating exhilaration and sadness, and the importance of helping others while riding out Ball’s and Balloon’s emotional (and literal) highs and lows.
Entertaining and instructive for the playground set. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-2562-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
Sweet, if somewhat bland, reflections on love.
In this collaboration from CNN Today anchor Harlow, Saturday TODAY anchor Jarrett, and illustrator Chavarri, a young girl and her class consider what love means to them.
After Ms. Clementine asks the class what images the word love conjures up, the room erupts with answers. Classmates describe special capes, baby siblings, and stuffed animals, while Grace feels overwhelmed as she considers the many things she loves. Then Ms. Clementine gives the class their assignment for the next day: “If love were a color, what color would it be?” Grace thinks hard on her walk home, struggling to pick only a single color, but when she discovers that her older brother, Dante, is home from college and making his famous gumbo for dinner, Grace knows exactly what color love is for her. While Harlow and Jarrett offer sweet prose and a cheerful look at the multifaceted ways love can manifest and the many meanings it can take on, the text nonetheless falls a little flat, with a narrative that veers away from calm and uncomplicated into facile territory. Still, Chavarri’s illustrations bring to life what could be stagnant scenes; the art’s charm, vibrancy, and easy whirls of movement sweep readers along to the (quite literally) heartful final spread. Grace and her brother are Black, and a multiracial ensemble of secondary characters makes up Grace’s classroom.
Sweet, if somewhat bland, reflections on love. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 14, 2024
ISBN: 9780593527108
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
This succulent successfully steals the spotlight from the ever-present evergreens.
Tiny Cactus eagerly anticipates Christmas—and wishes for some holiday decorations of her own.
Sitting snugly on a bookshelf, Tiny Cactus is especially treasured by her little girl. When she notices all the Christmas decorations coming out, Tiny Cactus is excited for her turn to be covered in tinsel and sparkles. Christmas Day arrives, but Tiny Cactus still doesn’t have any holiday decor. After a pep talk from her friend—an elephant-shaped teapot—and a little holiday magic, she gets some surprising trimmings of her very own. Tiny Cactus has sweetly human characteristics: pink cheeks, expressive eyes, and little legs below her flowerpot. The muted illustrations are dominated by pale grays, various shades of green, and many pops of pink. One particularly stunning image shows the Christmas tree, lights off, still glowing in the moonlight through the nearby window. Little readers will be delighted by the holiday magic and the way that Tiny Cactus ultimately gets her decorations. Evergreen trees are usually the stars of the season, but this unique cactus makes a creative focus for this story. Children will be pleased to learn that the Christmas cactus is a real houseplant; after reading this charming tale, many will be clamoring for one of their own. The little girl and her family are drawn with light brown skin and puffy dark hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This succulent successfully steals the spotlight from the ever-present evergreens. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780063039643
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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