by Russell Ayto ; illustrated by Russell Ayto ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 14, 2018
Simple yet delightful, this picture book is sure to find a place in young hearts.
A young boy makes a large mythological friend in the first story written by illustrator Ayto.
Henry, a tiny boy with giant red glasses, wants to find a yeti. His astronomer father, peering distractedly through telescopes and binoculars, doesn’t think they exist, but Henry can go looking if he doesn’t stay up too late. Henry’s principal tries to convince him that yetis don’t exist, announcing the plan to the whole school in an attempt to deter him through mockery, but Henry perseveres. He easily makes his way, “across an ocean, up a hill, over a river, and through a dense forest (all without staying up late).” When Henry finds a yeti, he takes plenty of selfies with his new friend, only to accidentally leave the camera behind. But the gigantic, snow-white, big-eyed creature follows him home, saving Henry from torment from skeptical classmates and teachers. Dryly witty text and clipped timing will make for a fun read-aloud, but the true hilarity of the book lies in the drawings of Henry, with his enveloping black turtleneck pulled up to his nose, his quirky, nervous, pigeon-toed stance, his big nose, and skinny, jubilant arms. The yeti is equally endearing, quirky, and cuddly, and the two are a perfectly matched set. Henry, his father, and the principal all present white, but his classmates are diverse.
Simple yet delightful, this picture book is sure to find a place in young hearts. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-683-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
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Awards & Accolades
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11
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
by Adam Rubin & illustrated by Daniel Salmieri ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2012
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
11
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
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by Adam Rubin ; illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
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by Jessie Sima ; illustrated by Jessie Sima ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 14, 2017
A slim, feel-good story, as light and airy as the rainbows that grace its pages.
Being true to yourself means embracing differences and striding (or paddling) fearlessly into the world.
Emerging from a giant clam, baby unicorn Kelp lives among narwhals, believing he’s just not as good as everyone else at swimming, appreciating a squid dinner, or breathing underwater (he sports a glass diving helmet—with a gasket-encircled hole for his horn). Swept close to shore one day, he spies for the first time an adult unicorn and, struck by the resemblance to himself, totters onto solid ground. The “land narwhals” explain to him that they—and he—are unicorns. Kelp’s blissful new life of learning to do special unicorn things amid sparkles and rainbows is punctuated by sadness over the narwhal friends he left behind. Upon returning to his watery home, Kelp learns that the narwhals knew all along that he was actually a unicorn. Following a brief internal tussle over where he truly belongs, Kelp recognizes that he doesn’t have to be just one thing or another and happily unites his friends at the shoreline. As seen in Sima’s soft, digital illustrations, Kelp is adorable, and she evokes both undersea and aboveground environments artfully. The message is an appealing one that could speak to many family situations relating to multiple identities, but the central dilemma is resolved so quickly and easily that there is little room for emotional engagement.
A slim, feel-good story, as light and airy as the rainbows that grace its pages. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6909-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
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