A wistful snapshot of a young artist and his family.
When his older brother, Nico, joins the Army, Luis picks up a paintbrush.
At first, Luis tries to join his brother. “Can I go too?” he asks. “To see the world?” He tries to hide inside Nico’s duffel, but Mami catches him in the act, voicing their shared grief in a simple turn of phrase: “Good-byes are sour like lemons.” Wearing his brother’s giant boots, Luis steps outside and paints on the alleyway wall. Soon morning comes, and Nico leaves home. Farish’s restrained story moves at a slow pace, giving readers ample space to grasp the depths of Luis’ sorrow. Seasons come and go, and Luis wonders whether Nico will ever return. Meanwhile, his alleyway art expands. A river curls from wall to wall, and a young boy rides his bicycle beside tall mountains in a distant land: a composite of images from Luis’ neighborhood and pictures he receives from his brother. Neighbors soon start painting, too. Dominguez’s illustrations border on realism, with just a hint of dreamy surrealism. Figures are juxtaposed against one another at evocative angles, as vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows mix with muted blues and purples. “Still, Luis can’t forget what Mami said, that some people don’t come back for the baseball or the flan.” Thankfully, the ending proves her wrong. Luis and his family are light-skinned Latinos, and their Lawrence, Massachusetts, neighborhood is realistically multiethnic.
A wistful snapshot of a young artist and his family. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4677-5796-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.
Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.
Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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