A clever celebration of the joys of trying new foods.
Every Friday, Frankie the flamingo meets her flamingo friends at the Pink Flamingo restaurant, where they all order and eat shrimp.
Not only is shrimp delicious, but it also keeps their feathers flamingo pink. Frankie loves shrimp and would be happy to eat it forever. But then, one day, while reading a magazine, she learns the word foodie and starts to wonder if she might like foods besides shrimp, if she only tried them. When her attempt to order a meal without shrimp at the Pink Flamingo fails (the server sternly pointing to a “shrimp only!” sign), she decides to go to the local market and try to cook something herself. She starts with Brussels sprouts, which she eats in so many ways that her feathers turn from pink to green. As her culinary experiments continue, her flamingo friends become curious about Frankie’s feathers, which change color with every new food she learns to cook and eat. Inspired by Frankie, her friends decide to try new foods too—and the result is more colorful than Frankie could have ever imagined! Frankie’s story will appeal to picky eaters and food enthusiasts alike. The cartoon illustrations imbue the characters with incredibly expressive—and at times humorous—faces and body language, taking full advantage of flamingo proportions to amp the comedy. The text is straightforward and clear, and the ending will leave readers deeply satisfied. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 46.9% of actual size.)
A clever celebration of the joys of trying new foods. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7624-9700-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Still, this young boy’s imagination is a powerful force for helping him deal with life, something that should be true for...
Oliver, of first-day-of-school alligator fame, is back, imagining adventures and still struggling to find balance between introversion and extroversion.
“When Oliver found his egg…” on the playground, mint-green backgrounds signifying Oliver’s flight into fancy slowly grow larger until they take up entire spreads; Oliver’s creature, white and dinosaurlike with orange polka dots, grows larger with them. Their adventures include sharing treats, sailing the seas and going into outer space. A classmate’s yell brings him back to reality, where readers see him sitting on top of a rock. Even considering Schmid’s scribbly style, readers can almost see the wheels turning in his head as he ponders the girl and whether or not to give up his solitary play. “But when Oliver found his rock… // Oliver imagined many adventures // with all his friends!” This last is on a double gatefold that opens to show the children enjoying the creature’s slippery curves. A final wordless spread depicts all the children sitting on rocks, expressions gleeful, wondering, waiting, hopeful. The illustrations, done in pastel pencil and digital color, again make masterful use of white space and page turns, although this tale is not nearly as funny or tongue-in-cheek as Oliver and His Alligator (2013), nor is its message as clear and immediately accessible to children.
Still, this young boy’s imagination is a powerful force for helping him deal with life, something that should be true for all children but sadly isn’t. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-7573-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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