Teresita's anticipation will ring true to any kid who's been saddled with an evening birthday party.
A young girl celebrating her birthday waits for a gift from her uncle, absorbing the sights and sounds of her city neighborhood.
Teresita wakes up to her seventh birthday knowing that a surprise is coming: a gift from Tío Ramón, who sells piraguas (snow cones) on the street. As the day goes on with no sign of him, her impatience grows, even as she recognizes her own growing maturity. So she goes outside, jumps rope, and plays, while the lively world outside her home continues. Mothers visit the bodega; children ride bikes and play stickball; grown-ups watch the neighborhood from their windows. Eventually Tío Ramón comes, giving Teresita not her usual special iced treat but a tiny black kitten, which the girl names Piragua. With painted illustrations that in near-photorealistic detail convey the emotions and activities of the many people around Teresita, the bilingual story is a simple slice of life that gets at the way so much can happen in half a day, even if the time seems to be dragging. It also conveys Teresita's awareness that she is becoming a "big girl," a more grown-up person with more responsibilities and a wider view of the world. Baeza Ventura’s Spanish translation appears beneath Sánchez-Korrol’s English text on every double-page spread.
Teresita's anticipation will ring true to any kid who's been saddled with an evening birthday party. (Bilingual picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55885-831-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Piñata Books/Arte Público
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
Essential—the energetic narrative and uplifting illustrations will inspire and empower young readers to get out the vote.
The children of fictional Stanton Elementary School educate themselves and their community about the vote in this picture book.
With its illustrations of simple shapes in bright colors imbuing a sense of positive action and a diverse cast of characters, this picture book rocks—and that’s even before the narrative takes hold. When Stanton’s students learn that their school becomes a polling station every two years, they want to be part of it—but learn they can’t vote until they are 18. Undeterred, they take action. The kids do their research and then engage their community to encourage those of voting age to go to the polls. They go door to door with voter-guide pamphlets, they hold a bake sale (with clever reminders like “Donut forget to vote”), and remind their families to vote. Each child-empowering scenario is paired with an adult’s excuse (“I’ll be away”; “I’m not even registered”; “I can’t walk so far”), and with each comment, the kids have an answer that draws on their research: “You can vote by mail”; “It’s not hard to register”; “A volunteer can drive you!” These kids mean business; it’s their future after all. Children and adults depicted represent a range of skin colors, hair textures, and gender presentations; one girl and her aunt wear hijab. Backmatter includes a quick listing of kid-relevant federal legislation.
Essential—the energetic narrative and uplifting illustrations will inspire and empower young readers to get out the vote. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9280-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
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