PAUL MEETS BERNADETTE

Name: PAUL MEETS BERNADETTE
Author: Rosy Lamb
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6130-4

by Rosy Lamb ; illustrated by Rosy Lamb ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 10, 2013

How does life look from inside a goldfish bowl? Perhaps more intriguing for creative Bernadette than for circling Paul in...

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A banana is a boat and a spoon’s a fish in this sequence of charming, painterly oil illustrations that study the dodgy perspectives of two goldfish in a bowl.

Paul has not seen the world. He swims around his fishbowl, maxing out his circle options: big, little, left to right, top to bottom. One day, a more cosmopolitan, clearly more imaginative goldfish named Bernadette is dropped into his bowl. “What are you doing?” she asks. As she encourages Paul to stop circling and observe the colorful realm beyond the glass, readers peer out too, squinting to visualize her delightful distortions. A big blue teapot pouring tea into teacups is a “not too dangerous” elephant, Bernadette proclaims: “But you must not disturb her while she is feeding her babies.” A bottle of orange juice (“From the Isle of Concentrate”) and a milk carton comprise the city of “Milkwaukee.” At first, this book seems to be about how even the most constrained worlds expand with the power of imagination. But since Paul never really gets the hang of it, the story, in the end, mostly just underscores Bernadette’s irresistible charms: “Now Paul goes around Bernadette.” Fair enough—sometimes that’s how it goes.

How does life look from inside a goldfish bowl? Perhaps more intriguing for creative Bernadette than for circling Paul in this lovely, debatably romantic ode in oils. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-7636-6130-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ELBOW GREASE VS. MOTOZILLA

by John Cena ; illustrated by Howard McWilliam ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 8, 2019

Engines won’t be the only thing roaring their approval when this book hits storytime.

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Who needs sanity when you’ve got family?

The title character of Elbow Grease (2018) and his family of Demolition Derby trucks return to face an all-new competitor. Once again, ’Bo is feeling inadequate next to his fan-favorite brothers. Despite Mel the Mechanic’s encouragement—he’s “the best at getting better”—he wants to be noticed. But instead, he notices someone unavoidable. Motozilla, the monster machine that turns trucks “into crunch sandwiches,” is currently undefeated. Trouble is, you’d need a truck with an array of skills to take him down. Thinking fast, ’Bo makes the wild and somewhat improbable suggestion that he and his brothers join together to form a single supertruck. Will it be enough to take down this bully? Quips, jests, and teamwork are the name of the game as pro wrestler Cena improves on his writing in this second outing, which demonstrates that individual glory falls in the face of concentrated cooperation. Rollicking, radical art portrays the battle in all its gritty glory, mud and twisted metal galore. Human crowds show a diverse range of races and genders, and the trucks’ keeper, Mel, has light-brown skin and wears glasses.

Engines won’t be the only thing roaring their approval when this book hits storytime. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-5247-7353-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: June 29, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
ELBOW GREASE
by John Cena ; illustrated by Howard McWilliam

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ALL KINDS OF SPECIAL

by Tammi Sauer ; illustrated by Fernando Martin ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 9, 2023

A sweet and refreshing reminder that community is all around us.

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A testament to the power of mangoes.

Brown-skinned Mia and Mama, who is darker-skinned, have moved into a new house. Mia loved their apartment and misses it but understands that Mama has wanted a house for so long; indeed, having a house has become Mia’s dream, too. It’s a pink two-story building with “five rooms. Eleven windows. And a whole lot of promise.” One of the things that makes this home so special is the mango tree in the yard. Mia is delighted to finally eat a ripe mango, special because it’s from their home. After that, the mangoes just keep coming and coming, and soon there are too many. But Mia quickly has the idea of sharing the fruit with the neighborhood. A full spread depicting racially diverse people eagerly mingling in Mia and Mama’s yard allows readers to see how wonderful it can be to find a new community. Mia decides, “There’s no such thing as too many mangos.” The light and optimistic story and the vibrant artwork complement each other smoothly. Collagelike illustrations in warm tones make inspired use of color, the pink of the new home contrasting well against the green of the lawn. The book will have readers considering what it means to forge new connections. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet and refreshing reminder that community is all around us. (Picture book. 3-6)