Young children will relate to Rory’s dilemma and respond to the adorable illustrations, but non-native readers will struggle...
When Rory the rabbit discovers he’s different from his rabbit friends, he feels self-conscious and decides to find another tribe.
Unlike many other bilingual picture books that offer side-by-side text, the story unfolds in Simplified Chinese with English text at the back paired to thumbnail illustrations, making it difficult to compare the translation. Like all the other rabbits, Rory “poops next to the snakeweed,” eats grass, and plays hide-and-seek. One day, he is shocked to discover his ears are much, much shorter than his friends’. Afraid they’ll “look down on him,” Rory decides not to be a rabbit anymore. First he joins a pack of dogs. But his short, bushy tail makes him stand out. Then Rory joins a sleuth of bears. “Bear ears and bear tails are both short,” he reasons. However, when winter comes, he refuses to hibernate in the darkness of a hollowed-out tree. Predictably, a bear says to him, “You’d be a lot happier if you would just be yourself,” and Rory realizes how much he misses his rabbit friends. Although the storyline is didactic and some of the translation awkwardly literal (“He made himself up to look like a grey dog”), the delightful illustrations compensate. Double-page spreads showcase cute, playful critters rendered in muted yet vibrant tones characteristic of Chinese brush painting. Native Chinese speakers will find the hanyu pinyin (Mandarin phonetic transcriptions) useful in pronouncing new words.
Young children will relate to Rory’s dilemma and respond to the adorable illustrations, but non-native readers will struggle to use the book as a learning tool. (glossary) (Bilingual picture book. 5-12)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-945-29516-4
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Candied Plums
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...
Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...
How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.
Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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