Bananas, indeed.
Part character study, part encyclopedic indulgence in odd facts, this is one quirky French import.
An oversized hardcover format triggers the knowledge that this is no ordinary picture book. Marcel the elephant strides purposefully (on two feet) across the cover toward the opening of the book while carrying an assortment of things and dressed in dapper clothing. The book goes on to reveal aspects of Marcel’s character from one spread to the next: He is a gourmand, he’s fastidious, he’s something of a clotheshorse; all combined, he’s a definite Renaissance pachyderm who takes interest in all that surrounds him. Narrative text reveals these attributes while illustrations and sidebar commentary detail his interests, belongings and such. On several spreads, one facing page is devoted to Marcel while the other broadens the scope of that spread’s particular focus—for example when readers learn of Marcel’s musical interests he stands with a tuba on the recto, while the verso seems like a catalog page with bordered entries on everything from a sitar to the bagpipes. The book as a whole ends up seeming like broad brushes at quirky worldbuilding or a book for perusing rather than reading as a story. The contents, while separately amusing, lack narrative cohesion and culminate in a recipe for “La crêpe marcelette (with banana!)”
Bananas, indeed. (glossary, designer key, cast of characters) (Picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: July 13, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2903-7
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
The second installment in this spirited series is a hit.
A new baby coming means Ryan has lots of opportunities to grow love.
Ryan has so much to look forward to this summer—she is going to be a big sister, and she finally gets to go to church camp! But new adventures bring challenges, too. Ryan feels like the baby is taking forever to arrive, and with Mom on bed rest, she isn’t able to participate in the family’s typical summer activities. Ryan’s Dad is still working the late shift, which means he gets home and goes to bed when she and her older brother, Ray, are waking up, so their quality daddy-daughter time is limited to one day a week. When the time for camp finally arrives, Ryan is so worried about bugs, ghosts, and sharing a cabin that she wonders if she should go at all. Watson’s heroine is smart and courageous, bringing her optimistic attitude to any challenge she faces. Hard topics like family finances and complex relationships with friends are discussed in an age-appropriate way. Watson continues to excel at crafting a sense of place; she transports readers to Portland, Oregon, with an attention to detail that can only come from someone who has loved that city. Ryan, her family, and friends are Black, and occasional illustrations by Mata spotlight their joy and make this book shine.
The second installment in this spirited series is a hit. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0058-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
A fun-if-flimsy vehicle for science lovers.
A fifth grade girl brings her love of chemistry to the school play.
Kate loves science so much she’s determined to breathe fire. Of course she knows that she needs adult supervision, and so, with her science teacher’s help, Kate demonstrates an experiment with cornstarch and a blowtorch that nearly sets her teacher’s cactus on fire. Consequences ensue. Can someone who loves science as much as Kate does find pleasure spending her fall break at drama camp? It turns out that even the school play—Dragons vs. Unicorns—needs a chemist, though, and Kate saves the day with glue and glitter. She’s sabotaged along the way, but everything is fine after Kate and her frenemy agree to communicate better (an underwhelming response to escalating bullying). Doodles decorate the pages; steps for the one experiment described that can be done at home—making glittery unicorn-horn glue—are included. The most exciting experiments depicted, though, include flames or liquid nitrogen and could only be done with the help of a friendly science teacher. Biberdorf teaches chemistry at the University of Texas and also performs science-education programs as “Kate the Chemist”; in addition to giving her protagonist her name and enthusiasm, she also seems represented in Kate-the-character’s love of the fictional YouTube personality “Dr. Caroline.” Kate and her nemesis are white; Kate’s best friends are black and South Asian.
A fun-if-flimsy vehicle for science lovers. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-11655-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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