Well-intentioned but inconsistent, the story starts off strong but loses steam.
On an island “far to the north,” protagonist Tomo does not like to eat fish, nor does he plan to become a fisherman like the other men and boys of the village.
Black-haired Tomo loves to invent and build things. The only person who appreciates his inventions is his best friend and budding naturalist, Maya. One day while Grandfather naps, Tomo spies his great-grandfather’s fishing rod. Tomo knows he should leave it alone: “It’s legendary, it’s something no one ever touches––and it’s just what he needs” to make a mast for a boat. He grabs for it, misses, and accidentally knocks down his great-grandfather’s “Adventure Journal,” hidden behind a picture. It’s full of diagrams of inventions, and Tomo keeps it, using it to build a canoe that he and Maya paddle off in on an adventure. The digital illustrations are cheery but ambiguous: they give no clear sense of time or location. Village houses appear to be modern, as does the clothing both children and Grandfather wear, but many other characters wear clothing suggestive of a generic Pacific Northwest Indian theme, giving them a stereotyped feel. Further, the children are dressed in summer clothes even while on the open sea, whereas Grandfather is dressed for a colder climate, and other adults appear both bundled up and not, making the book’s chronology unclear.
Well-intentioned but inconsistent, the story starts off strong but loses steam. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-250-08545-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, if oft-told, story.
A plush toy rabbit bonds with a boy and watches him grow into adulthood.
The boy receives the blue bunny for his birthday and immediately becomes attached to it. Unbeknownst to him, the ungendered bunny is sentient; it engages in dialogue with fellow toys, giving readers insight into its thoughts. The bunny's goal is to have grand adventures when the boy grows up and no longer needs its company. The boy spends many years playing imaginatively with the bunny, holding it close during both joyous and sorrowful times and taking it along on family trips. As a young man, he marries, starts a family, and hands over the beloved toy to his toddler-aged child in a crib. The bunny's epiphany—that he does not need to wait for great adventures since all his dreams have already come true in the boy's company—is explicitly stated in the lengthy text, which is in many ways similar to The Velveteen Rabbit (1922). The illustrations, which look hand-painted but were digitally created, are moderately sentimental with an impressionistic dreaminess (one illustration even includes a bunny-shaped cloud in the sky) and a warm glow throughout. The depiction of a teenage male openly displaying his emotions—hugging his beloved childhood toy for example—is refreshing. All human characters present as White expect for one of the boy’s friends who is Black.
A sweet, if oft-told, story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72825-448-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
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