A story with a good ecological message and vibrant paintings that falls short by omitting context.
In this latest picture-book series entry, Lapid (Mother’s Day With Snowman Paul, 2018, etc.) offers strong couplets about a girl and a tree saving each other, and returning illustrator Pasek highlights the bright colors of its tropical setting.
A small tawari sapling is threatened by bulldozers and fires that are clearing the forest. Yara, a young Indigenous girl, comes to its rescue. The sapling grows quickly to become a tree that Yara (who appears to still be the same age) can climb. One day, when Yara becomes very ill, her mother brings an elder to their home to make a diagnosis. The elder laments that there once was a tree that could provide her with a remedy, but it may now be extinct. Savvy readers will be unsurprised that Yara’s tawari tree is the very one that she needs to cure her sickness, thus repaying her kindness. Lapid’s message—that humans need the rainforest as much as the rainforest needs them to save it—comes through clearly in Yara and the tree’s personal connection. Unfortunately, with no author’s note and an unnamed setting, it’s hard to gauge the authenticity of Pasek’s apparently Amazon-inspired images or Lapid’s cultural descriptions.
A story with a good ecological message and vibrant paintings that falls short by omitting context.Pub Date: July 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9973899-5-1
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Time Tunnel Media
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
A taste of holiday hilarity while fans wait for the next chapter book.
Bruel’s fractious feline takes on another holiday.
This time, Bad Kitty is not happy because while Puppy got piles of pink and red and purple punny valentines, she got zero. When prompted to think of all the things she has done since last Valentine’s Day, she remembers stealing all the eggs at Easter, scaring light-skinned Uncle Murray on Halloween, and knocking over the Christmas tree. Suddenly, she becomes anxious: What if no one loves her? Maybe if she gives someone a valentine, she will get one. Puppy, dressed as Cupid (and drooling as usual), seems an available candidate. However, Kitty’s attempts are less than loving. “Roses are red, / Violets are blue, / Sugar is sweet, / YOU SMELL BAD!” Her second attempt is even worse. Third time’s the charm, when she admits to maybe liking Puppy, and he eats it up (literally). When he coughs up a reply (again, literally), Kitty loves her valentine…but Valentine’s Day? Too drooly. Kitty’s scads of fans will be in love with this short holiday confection. Those not into the mushy stuff will be right there with her, and all will enjoy the four tear-out valentines that come with the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A taste of holiday hilarity while fans wait for the next chapter book. (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-74995-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
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