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P'ÉSK'A AND THE FIRST SALMON CEREMONY

Though there’s not much of a storyline, the book is a good initial introduction to a lesser-known First Nations people.

A glimpse of life along British Columbia’s Harrison River, a millennium ago.

When P'ésk'a, a child of the Sta'ailes (also known as Chehalis) people, wakes to discover that a special tray needed for the First Salmon Ceremony has been left behind, he snatches it up and hurries riverward to deliver it to the Siyá:m (chief). Respectfully noting that this is an “interpretation of a time and place” 1,000 years ago, Ritchie threads his rudimentary plotline through village scenes of lightly clad people busily at work: fishing, building, hollowing out a cedar log for a canoe, making drums, weaving baskets, preparing the feast, and finally gathering on the bank to give thanks for the sth'óqwi (salmon) that is “the greatest gift.” The illustrations are created with abbreviated brush strokes and short, loosely drawn pen lines and have the warm, detailed look of Bob Graham’s work. First Salmon ceremonies are common throughout the Pacific Northwest, and aside from some distinctively patterned hats and a few other details, there is not much to distinguish the figures or their surroundings from any of the region’s small traditional settlements. Still, an afterword furnishes more about this ancient band’s way of life, and a short glossary provides an opportunity to sample its language.

Though there’s not much of a storyline, the book is a good initial introduction to a lesser-known First Nations people. (Informational picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-55498-718-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015

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QUACKS LIKE A DUCK

A positively peachy tale.

Don’t form opinions from limited information.

Petunia the platypus, a recent emigrant from Australia, complete with a present, a party hat, and a pavlova, is excited for her first neighborhood shindig until she realizes that it’s a costume party and she’s the only one not dressed up. What’s worse, no one in the neighborhood recognizes what a platypus is. Instead, they insist she must be a duck or a beaver or an otter based on various parts of her anatomy. (Tough party, right?) Thankfully, when a duck, a beaver, and an otter arrive, stacked on top of each other, wearing an oversize coat, and announce that they are dressed as a platypus, the neighbors finally understand, and Petunia regains the confidence needed to declare that she’s not a label, she’s just her. Readers will love this delightfully odd tale, and storytellers will have a blast reading it aloud in storytimes. The artwork has a fresh vibe, and the characters pop from the white space of the page, making this a winning choice to share with large groups. Discussion leaders may find this a useful tool in helping younger children understand the value of not jumping to conclusions based on limited facts. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A positively peachy tale. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-64170-729-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Familius

Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022

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THE COOL BEAN PRESENTS

AS COOL AS IT GETS

From the Food Group series

A solid message for young DIYers, particularly those with more time than bean-bucks.

The pressure of picking a proper gift to exchange at a party makes the holiday season anything but a fava-rite time for the leguminous star of The Cool Bean (2019).

Having picked ultra-cool Beanadette J.’s name out of the basket but lacking the bean-bucks to buy anything, the frustrated frijole turns creative, using pens and paints to depict the intended recipient surrounded by tigers and rainbows. Seeing the multicolored guests at the party getting electronics and other expensive fancies only cranks up the anticipated humiliation—but Beanadette loves the picture, and so does everyone else. “I’d created something unique and original. I’d given it away. And it had made somebody happy.” If that summation isn’t explicit enough for some readers, John’s beany bestower leaves the party with a brand-new, hand-knit scarf of their own (“truly a cool—and also warm—gift, indeed”) and then ends by boiling the message down to a mushy meme: “When in doubt, just make something.” However easy it may be to see as naïve (or at best aspirational) the notion that beans, human or otherwise, are sure to value hand-made gifts over manufactured ones, young children or anyone with no bean-bucks to spend might take it to heart. No specific holidays are identified aside from glimpses of snow, garland, and carolers in the illustrations of anthropomorphized, cartoonish beans. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A solid message for young DIYers, particularly those with more time than bean-bucks. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-06-304542-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022

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