An evocative, enchanting tale of the quest for community.
A unicorn traverses the world, searching for another of his kind.
Translated from Portuguese, this Brazilian import, from a prolific master of the imaginary realm, zigzags through time and cultures to track the rare beast. When readers first glimpse Griso, his black body is edged with white and blue dots. The third-person narrative explains that “the last of the unicorns…was galloping all across the plains in search of another…just like him.” A chart at the book’s end notes that this portrayal is based on seventh-century Germanic art. The animal transforms in each mesmerizing spread, appearing in the color/style of the new art form: a Persian bas-relief, ancient Greek vase painting, a Tang dynasty mural. Mello trusts viewers to make these visual leaps as the shape-shifter interacts with horned whales, buffalo, and, at the height of danger, a medieval knight on a horse whose armored head bears a spike. The text unites the disparate compositions into a brilliantly cohesive story, presenting context about the time of day—e.g., bedtime—or the unicorn’s feelings of terror or loneliness. While Griso’s goal is unmet in one sense, in a scene set in Egypt, he does connect with another unique creature—the last of the winged horses, who is also weary, “having flown all across the plains in search of…another just like him.” Claudia de Moraes’ musings on unicorn sightings provide concluding inspiration.
An evocative, enchanting tale of the quest for community. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781962770088
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Elsewhere Editions
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
A Valentine’s tale that even the grumpiest readers won’t be able to resist.
A put-upon goblin learns to feel the love.
Gilbert, a bald, mint-green goblin, is far too busy for Valentine’s Day. From bird-watching to goat yoga, his schedule is full. Besides, “Valentine’s Day is all about love and flowers and all that other mushy malarkey”—Gilbert doesn’t need it! He isn’t interested in those heart-shaped boxes of candy with their gross coconut surprises, and he’s not a fan of the so-called stars of Valentine’s Day: cupids with their gorgeous hair and love arrows. But the cupid squad doesn’t give up on Gilbert and sends him zigging and zagging to avoid their arrows. Believing he’s been hit (in fact he unwittingly backed up into a cactus), Gilbert finds himself falling in love with love and eagerly accepting his friends’ valentines. Humor certain to please readers young and old is woven throughout Gilbert’s sassy narration and the candy-colored illustrations, which trace the goblin’s metamorphosis from sourpuss to lovebug. The reasons for Gilbert’s true change of heart—and why he was so loath to celebrate to begin with—are left unspoken, but readers may enjoy coming up with their own ideas. Front endpapers featuring candy hearts festooned with “meh” and “nope” capture the anti-Valentine vibe, while supportive cards from Gilbert’s friends can be found on the back endpapers.
A Valentine’s tale that even the grumpiest readers won’t be able to resist. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781665962612
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
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