An ambiguous ending makes this book truly haunting—and vital.
The lives of a hornet and a boy unexpectedly intertwine in this vividly illustrated, unusual glimpse of child labor at a coal yard.
Translated into English from its original Portuguese by Hahn, Brazilian Hans Christian Andersen Award–winning author/illustrator Mello’s enigmatic text addresses the humanitarian and environmental stakes of charcoal production. A primarily black-and-white color palette sets a somber tone, while die-cut pages shaped to resemble tongues of orange, pink, and red flame echo the collaged endpapers evoking clusters of embers and ashes. Told in distinct, titled fragments from the hornet’s perspective, the sometimes frustratingly abstruse text offers readers just enough visual and verbal information to construct meaning. The hornet, who guards a larva in its mud nest on a charcoal mound, addresses readers in deceptively plain language peppered with descriptive words and repeated phrases. Skin color is mentioned only in reference to an albino boy, depicted with bright white skin, who struggles to hide from the labor inspectors among the charcoal while the first boy, depicted with dark skin does not. The only named character is the albino boy, whom the hornet christens, unoriginally and somewhat insensitively, “Albi.” The book’s format and Mello’s professional background suggest children are its intended audience, but it’s difficult to envision any child engaging with this book without adult scaffolding. The text is more poetic than informational, and it does not include references for further reading. Still, for those readers who wrestle with it, it’s an unforgettable experience.
An ambiguous ending makes this book truly haunting—and vital. (Picture book. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-939810-19-9
Page Count: 46
Publisher: Elsewhere Editions
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A deceptively simple, tender tale in which respect, resilience, and hope triumph.
Generations of human and animal families grow and change, seen from the point of view of the red oak Wishing Tree that shelters them all.
Most trees are introverts at heart. So says Red, who is over 200 years old and should know. Not to mention that they have complicated relationships with humans. But this tree also has perspective on its animal friends and people who live within its purview—not just witnessing, but ultimately telling the tales of young people coming to this country alone or with family. An Irish woman named Maeve is the first, and a young 10-year-old Muslim girl named Samar is the most recent. Red becomes the repository for generations of wishes; this includes both observing Samar’s longing wish and sporting the hurtful word that another young person carves into their bark as a protest to Samar’s family’s presence. (Red is monoecious, they explain, with both male and female flowers.) Newbery medalist Applegate succeeds at interweaving an immigrant story with an animated natural world and having it all make sense. As Red observes, animals compete for resources just as humans do, and nature is not always pretty or fair or kind. This swiftly moving yet contemplative read is great for early middle grade, reluctant or tentative readers, or precocious younger students.
A deceptively simple, tender tale in which respect, resilience, and hope triumph. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-04322-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
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