Despite its cuddly characters, this uplifting but unevenly developed friendship tale doesn’t quite soar.
A lonely little girl befriends a wingless dragon.
Every day, in a seaside village “with cobblestone streets, a water fountain, and an ice cream stand,” Rosie watches the other children laugh and play. She wishes they “would see her.” Every day, from his tree overlooking the village, Rasmus watches birds twirl in the sky. He wishes he could fly. When Rosie approaches Rasmus’ tree and he offers her a flower, the two become fast friends. Rosie teaches him to jump rope and pirouette; Rasmus shows her his flying kite, floating balloons, and favorite book (starring a soaring dragon). With clever kid logic, Rosie devises adaptations to help him fly, encouraging him in speech bubbles to no avail—until, out-of-the-blue, Rasmus sprouts his own wings. His wish granted, Rasmus sadly bids Rosie adieu (why he must leave is never explained); Rosie sadly resumes watching the other children play until, one day….Geddes’ large-font text is lightly rhythmic; her pale, fuzzy pastels are soothing and humorous, and her protagonists’ sniffles and smiles endearing. Unfortunately, her heavy focus on Rosie’s helping Rasmus to fly turns him into a project as much as a friend. Additionally, if readers interpret Rasmus’ missing wings as a disability, his obsession with flying and his abrupt wing growth may call to mind such overused tropes as a disabled character pining to be nondisabled and their miraculous recovery. Rosie is white; there is some diversity among the other children.
Despite its cuddly characters, this uplifting but unevenly developed friendship tale doesn’t quite soar. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9874-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
