If silliness is what was aimed for, it sort of succeeds—but, if so, it is not silly enough.
What can you say when even the jacket blurb calls it “a lighthearted lesson in humility”?
First of all, it isn’t. Humility is not what is going on, just bad manners and a dose of fractured fairy tale. Isabel is perfect in every way, but she won’t say “please.” When Isabel leaves a tiny shoe at the prince’s ball and is about to put her tiny toes into it, the prince says, “Say ‘please,’ ” but she won’t. He goes off to meet Cinderella. Isabel’s stepmother (who is really not attractive at all) offers her the poisoned apple, but since Isabel won’t say please, Isabel remains without a prince. And when Isabel drops her golden ball into the frog’s pond, she won’t say please to get it back. But walking lost in a forest, she screams for help and says “please” to the prince who happens by to rescue her, and he is so taken by “her humility and fine manners” that he falls in love. Haley’s cartoon characters have googly eyes, squiggly limbs and a sense of humor (see the Groucho glasses on the stepmother), and Isabel’s pastel-and-rosebud look is right for the story. It’s hard to know what to make of this. Saying “please” makes the prince appear and propose? Manners make the princess?
If silliness is what was aimed for, it sort of succeeds—but, if so, it is not silly enough. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2323-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012
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BOOK REVIEW
A tale gently told of finding our inner strengths.
Once upon a short time ago, there was a girl named Carlota who had a unique power: everyone understood her just from her gestures and glances.
So this Spanish import’s fair-skinned protagonist never talks—until one day, she needs to. Carlota's power of communicating without talking works when she's hungry; when she's on the playground and doesn't feel like running anymore or wants to play a new game; and even in the classroom when her teacher asks a question. (Like Carlota, her classmates, teacher, and family all present as white.) But one day she accidentally gets locked into the pantry, with only jars, cans, pots, and a broomstick with bristles full of fluff. As Carlota realizes her communication method will not work on these inanimate objects, she must overcome her fear and try something she has never done before: talk! The whimsical, tongue-in-cheek narration asks readers questions (“Are you ready to know?”) and adds little asides (“Yes, I know I have already said this, but...”), making readers feel the story is being told just to them. Urberuaga's simply drawn illustrations, heavily outlined in black and using a richly saturated palette, perfectly complement the charm and humor of the story. Readers will want to watch out for Tom the mouse, Carlota's friend, and his antics while Carlota is locked in the pantry.
A tale gently told of finding our inner strengths. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: June 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-84-942929-5-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
Fans of Freckleface Strawberry and her friends will welcome their return, but better stories about school, friendship, and...
A young boy discovers that his loud voice is (mostly) not appreciated at school.
Redheaded Freckleface Strawberry, blond Noah, large and loud Windy Pants Patrick (all white), and brown-skinned Winnie (possibly Southeast Asian) have enjoyed playing (and shouting) all summer long. They have jumped through the sprinkler, savored ice cream treats, and participated in outdoor games. Now it’s time to return to school. Most of the children adapt easily to their teachers’ and classmates’ expectations. But Windy Pants Patrick finds himself being shushed in the classroom, the lunchroom, and the library. Not until he gets to music class does being louder than the rest work to his advantage. Pham’s digitally colored Japanese brush-pen artwork is energetic and cheerful with a decidedly retro feel. As in other titles in the series, however, white characters are stark white, which contrasts oddly with the more realistic skin tones of Asian and black individuals. The mildly amusing premise is likewise hampered by the shortcomings of Moore’s text. Changes in typeface and font and a multiplicity of exclamation points attempt to add excitement, but short, repetitive, declarative sentences dominate, giving it a choppy feel.
Fans of Freckleface Strawberry and her friends will welcome their return, but better stories about school, friendship, and embracing individuality abound. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: July 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-385-39203-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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