A gentle, poetic ode to the difficulties of accepting change.
A girl and her grandmother reminisce as they journey back to the city after a summer spent in the mountains.
Oto, a Japanese youngster, sits on a yellow train with her Obah-chan listening to the wheels clack down the track (“Gatan, goton”) as the scenery flies by the windows. Oto’s heartbeat echoes the sounds of the hurtling train as she frets about each mile that separates them from their happy time in the mountains. “It’s mean that summer has to end,” she says, sniffing Obah-chan’s arm to remind herself of the scent of the cedar tree they saw on a walk that morning. People board and leave the train at each station; meanwhile, Oto feels summer slipping away. Memories flood her mind, from the sounds of the cicadas to the “sweet, salty bites” of watermelon she and Obah-chan shared to the drumbeat that played at the Bon festival. When the train arrives, Oto isn’t ready to say goodbye, but a special shared moment on the platform results in a new memory and a smooth transition to her parents. Ogawa’s spare, sensory prose evokes Oto’s recognizable experience using onomatopoetic Japanese phrases. The author/illustrator expertly bathes Oto and Obah-chan and their remembered experiences in bright, bold colors; by contrast, the other passengers are depicted with more muted hues, focusing readers’ attention on Oto’s emotional journey.
A gentle, poetic ode to the difficulties of accepting change. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781834021300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.
Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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