A quiet, sweet story blending common themes of moving, imagination, and friendship.
After moving to a new home, a child seeks friendship.
Elliott, who presents as a child of color with medium-brown skin and curly brown hair, is reading in the bedroom of his new home when he hears noises outside. Mama, who has a slightly darker complexion and darker hair of the same texture, encourages him to go play in the light rain, where other children are splashing in puddles. Once outside, Elliott draws on the story he was reading to enact an imaginary play scenario with a toy boat and dragon and princess characters. Though the brown-skinned princess appears in the cover art, the neighborhood children, who have pale skin and straight hair, end up taking on a bigger role as they happily join Elliott. Watercolor-and-charcoal illustrations with a pleasing, soft visual texture transport both the new friends and readers on a journey across the sea, to an island, and back to the city block again. Elliott returns home to find his parents serving supper (a White-appearing unnamed second parent is present on one spread). At the book’s end, Elliott returns to his book and then drifts off to sleep after reading its happy ending, delivering the same sort of conclusion to readers of this picture book.
A quiet, sweet story blending common themes of moving, imagination, and friendship. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-911373-97-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lantana
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
An Otto-rly successful modern Christmas story.
A glitzy ornament searches for a tree worthy of him but finds his real place where he least expects it.
“Merry Christmas, bulbs and baubles! I’m Otto! I’m here to bedeck the heck out of your tree!” And “bedeck the heck” he tries! When Otto is told there’s space for him in the middle of the tree, he scoffs—only the top will do for an ornament like him. After he mocks his fellow ornaments, they refuse to make room for him, so he heads out to look for a new place to shine. He takes a scarring tumble down into the sewer, where he encounters an unlikely precious item. Returning with his find, Otto no longer sparkles but still manages to shine at home on the tree. This is a well-paced, appealing tale that will make for a great preschool read-aloud come December. Arrogant Otto has a satisfying redemptive arc that will resonate with readers. The dialogue and wordplay are pitch-perfect, bringing the characters to life. A mix of cartoonish vignettes and full-page spreads effectively depicts action and movement. Otto is multicolored and patterned with big eyes and a winning grin; the other ornaments on the tree also have personalities that match their styles. The few humans who appear are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An Otto-rly successful modern Christmas story. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593481202
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
Cheng’s story of a Chinese-speaking grandfather who comes to live with his daughter’s English-speaking family ably communicates the difficulties of the language barrier, and the unanticipated joys that come from working your way through that barrier. Helen is ambivalent about the arrival of her grandfather, Gong Gong, from China. She wants to know her grandfather, but she has had to surrender her room and her cherished view of the train tracks to him. Worst of all, he doesn’t understand what she says, and as she doesn’t understand him, he withdraws. Her mother says to give him some space and time. One day while Helen is sitting on the back wall, Gong Gong joins her, and together they count the train cars as the freight rumbles past. Contact. Helen learns the first eight numbers in Chinese and Gong Gong learns them in English. From there it is a short leap to Helen’s Chinese name and its Chinese characters, and then the letters used to spell Helen. That every journey starts with a first step is a commonplace conceit, but here the notion fits so snugly the point practically sings, and it feels like an adventurous beginning at that. Lushly colored artwork from Zhang is both elegant and captures the moods of tentativeness, surprise, and satisfaction. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2000
ISBN: 1-58430-010-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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