With just four selections, the sound track is a bit underpowered, but the whimsical subtext sets this apart (a centimeter or...
To tinkly snatches of romantic music—triggered by a small detachable wand—a put-upon orphan and a prince meet the loves of their lives.
Readers are enlisted at the beginning to assist the fairy godmother by pulling the gold-foil–wrapped cardboard wand out of a niche in the front cover and at proper moments laying it down on designated areas of certain pages to cue magical high spots from coach to clinch. The retelling is a bland version of the classic tale in which Cinderella does all the chores even though her stepmother and stepsibs never even thank her (and in any case they drop out of sight abruptly, feet intact, once the glass slipper fits), and she goes on to spend her days “helping others and spreading kindness wherever she went.” It does take a rather contemporary twist at the end, though, as Cinderella and the prince become “the very best of friends” for several years before they actually marry, and they are an interracial couple (she white and he a man of color). The illustrations have a serigraphic, retro look, with a pink castle adding a whiff of Disney and a parade of vintage cars driving up to the ball providing a Jazz Age riff. On the other hand, Mander’s uncrowded group scenes at the ball and again at the end are decidedly mixed, with figures not only clad from a variety of eras, but showing a range of skin tones, mostly in brown. The batteries are replaceable.
With just four selections, the sound track is a bit underpowered, but the whimsical subtext sets this apart (a centimeter or so) from the common run. (Novelty/fairy tale. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78603-166-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Lincoln Children's Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
A good overview of this complex, essential organ, with an energetic seasoning of silliness.
An introduction to the lead guitar and vocalist for the Brainiacs—the human brain.
The brain (familiar to readers of Seluk’s “The Awkward Yeti” webcomic, which spun off the adult title Heart and Brain, 2015) looks like a dodgeball with arms and legs—pinkish, sturdy, and roundish, with a pair of square-framed spectacles bestowing an air of importance and hipness. Other organs of the body—tongue, lungs, stomach, muscle, and heart—are featured as members of the brain’s rock band (the verso of the dust jacket is a poster of the band). Seluk’s breezy, conversational prose and brightly colored, boldly outlined cartoon illustrations deliver basic information. The brain’s role in keeping the heart beating and other automatic functions, directing body movements, interpreting sights and sounds, remembering smells and tastes, and regulating sleep and hunger are all explained, prose augmented by dialogue balloons and information sidebars. Seluk points out, importantly, that feelings originate in the brain: “You can control how you react…but your feelings happen no matter what.” The parodied album covers on the front endpapers (including the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Green Day, Run DMC, Queen, Nirvana) will amuse parents—or at least grandparents—and the rear endpapers serve up band members’ clever social media and texting screenshots. Backmatter includes a glossary and further brain trivia but no resources or bibliography.
A good overview of this complex, essential organ, with an energetic seasoning of silliness. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-16700-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s worth a look, but it won’t be a star player in any collection.
Let’s talk about animal adaptations!
Preschoolers are naturally curious and are filled with a million and one questions (on a slow day). Kaner takes on some animal-themed questions by examining how different species of animals have adapted to deal with chilly weather. The species are international: Alaskan wood frogs, Japanese macaques, and guanacos share the book with more familiar species such as squirrels, butterflies, and penguins. Some species are rather far-reaching. Are tuataras on a preschooler’s radar? And although a beaver opens the book with a fanciful scenario in which it turns up a thermostat, it’s never revealed how beavers stay warm. Resourceful educators may use these more unusual species as a launchpad for further exploration. Martz’s illustrations, which appear to be digital, humorously support the text throughout. Disappointingly, however the design of the book fails to take advantage of the page turn. The questions Kaner asks (“Do honeybees use teamwork?”) are answered across the gutter, effectively stopping all open-ended discussion among readers. This is unfortunate because it greatly limits the use of the book or requires jury-rigged props to promote critical-thinking and discussion skills. Furthermore, there is no backmatter with further reading or more information about the animal species discussed.
It’s worth a look, but it won’t be a star player in any collection. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77147-292-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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