An enjoyable tale that follows a boy on a stirring quest.
A Tanzanian schoolboy makes a pilgrimage to a mountain.
In this bilingual illustrated children’s book, Rotbart tells the story of Riyaz, a 9-year-old boy attending school in Dar es Salaam, far from his home. During class, Riyaz can often be found staring out the window at Mount Kilimanjaro, a place he longs to visit. One day, he convinces the headmaster he has been invited to spend the weekend with his uncle—who does not exist—and, along with two classmates, sets off for the mountain. The boys quickly discover that Kilimanjaro is farther away than they thought, and their jaunt becomes a multiday trek. They catch a ride from an older man—whose goat rides in the front seat of his truck while the boys pile into the back—and they walk the rest of the way. They spend their nights outside, wondering if wild animals are lurking in the shadows. When they finally reach the mountain, Riyaz is thrilled to accomplish his goal. A tour bus brings them back to school, where Riyaz is shocked to discover that his teachers realized he was missing. He accepts a punishment he knows he deserves, bolstered by the knowledge that the magnificent mountain still calls to him. The English-language story is solidly written by the author and smoothly translated into Spanish by Flores. The corresponding text in English and Spanish appears on facing pages. Farrar’s colorful illustrations add visual interest and deftly bring Riyaz’s world to life. The tale is close to an early reader level of complexity. The plot is engaging, though simple, and although the cover indicates that the work is based on a true story, no information about the real Riyaz is provided, so the audience may be left wondering.
An enjoyable tale that follows a boy on a stirring quest.Pub Date: March 20, 2020
ISBN: 979-8628744895
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.
If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?
For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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