Geography students interested in learning about new locations—or wanting to celebrate places near home—should enjoy this...
A robin gets an insider’s view of Los Angeles in this travelogue and fifth installment of a picture book series.
Although Robin flies to Los Angeles, she doesn’t use her wings but arrives in LAX like most tourists. The amiable bird hits a major event and many of the most famous spots of the well-known city, both entertaining and educational, including the Tournament of Roses Parade, the Griffith Park Observatory, the Hollywood Bowl, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and Rodeo Drive. But some lesser-known treasures are also included, such as the Third and Fairfax Farmers Market, along with places of natural beauty like the Pacific Palisades and Los Liones Canyon. Barone’s (Where Is Robin? USA, 2017, etc.) selection of locations is excellent. But while her rhyming couplets are clean, they often scan unevenly, making it hard to keep a consistent rhythm. Robin also has a lot of experiences only available to celebrities and fictional characters: she’s able to play in a Kings’ hockey game, conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic, sing at the Hollywood Bowl, and perform jazz at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Debut illustrator Gozhansky does a masterful job of keeping her images consistent with the rest of the series, and her cartoonish depictions of Robin make the discrepancies in the bird’s size from spread to spread seem reasonable. The cast, both animal and human, is as appealingly diverse as the Los Angeles sites.
Geography students interested in learning about new locations—or wanting to celebrate places near home—should enjoy this clever look at LA.Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9906310-8-8
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Diplomat Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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