Young readers will love returning to find hidden treasures among these pages—a delightful romp.
Little Kunoichi’s dazzling pet inspires Chibi Samurai’s quest for his own.
Ninja Bunny is awesome. Audacious and strong, the rabbit and Little Kunoichi are inseparable. Wanting a similar snuggly friend, Chibi Samurai gears up and sets out. Across mountains, forest, and swamp the intrepid boy greets Japanese creatures, both mythic and real (giant salamander, mischievous kappa, hot-spring–loving monkeys!), but none stay. Dejected, Chibi returns home to find a loyal and mighty stag beetle has been with him all along. Ishida seamlessly weaves Japanese cultural references into the text and art, integrating traditional clothing, decor, games, and even a haiku into the tale. Backmatter explains these visual cues, adding to the seek-and-find fun on many pages. Watercolor illustrations are reminiscent of Taro Gomi’s, with their appealing, earnest simplicity. Like a child’s artwork, they have a spontaneity, a fizzy energy, that’s never labored. Despite this appearance, each page is meticulously planned. Unfortunately, the stag beetle may seem like an obvious play for Kubo fans, and the front-cover design doesn’t capture the vivacity of its contents; however, if readers only turn the page, a playful adventure awaits.
Young readers will love returning to find hidden treasures among these pages—a delightful romp. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-63217-117-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
A visual success conjuring up the best about the seasons’ changes.
As a child walks through woods and town, summer turns to fall, and the natural world is met with a friendly hello.
A slim, brown child with a black-haired bob and hipster clothes stands on a stoop, ready to greet the late summer morning. On this picturesque journey through the seasons, the protagonist’s cordial salutation—whether made to blue jays and beavers or to the thunder and wind—is always the same: “Hello, [object].” And all amiably respond, providing tidbits of information about themselves. Unfortunately, their chatty replies miss the rhythm and easy conversational style that would make this shine as a read-aloud. It’s a shame, since the artist’s lush, evocative digital illustrations so perfectly capture the changing seasons in both the countryside and the town’s streets. To further accentuate the subject matter, Pak makes every spread a panorama, allowing readers to see and feel the various environments and habitats. Working in the tradition of such artists as Richard Scarry and Mary Blair, he takes a graphic approach, illustrating a world with simplified characters and shapes, layers of textures, and bold colors. Repeat visits will reveal new stories, such as the child’s collection and distribution of a carefully crafted bouquet to other people, whose diversity refreshingly reflects a range of skin tones, hairstyles, body types, and interests.
A visual success conjuring up the best about the seasons’ changes. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62779-415-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
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