A fun winter story that celebrates the novelty of snow.
In this charming winter tale, an Israeli girl dreams of seeing snow and her father works to make her dream reality.
Pnina lives in the city of Beit Shemesh, Israel. Her father grew up in Canada, and Pnina wishes she could build a snowman like he did in his youth. When she asks why it doesn’t snow in Israel, he tells her that it does, but only in Jerusalem. It’s only about a half-hour drive from Pnina’s house to her grandparents’ Jerusalem home, so Pnina wonders why it doesn’t snow in both places. But she trusts her Abba to tell her the truth, even if her best friend, Chana Leah, is skeptical about the idea. Eventually, her father wakes her up in the middle of the night and piles the whole family into their van. When they arrive in Jerusalem, the sky is full of snowflakes. Pnina waxes poetic about the snow’s appearance: “You won’t believe that it fell like stardust, sparkled and fell in impossibly big flakes that night against my face. You will have to see it with your own eyes.” And if there isn’t enough for a snowman, she doesn’t have to tell Chana Leah that! Zevy’s story offers a sweet slice-of-life story. The vocabulary makes it best geared toward independent readers at the chapter-book level, and Pnina’s voice may feel familiar to readers of kid-lit heroes such as Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones or Debbi Michiko Florence’s Jasmine Toguchi. Zevy introduces Hebrew and Yiddish words into the text without explanation, though a few are included in the end glossary with definitions that make no distinction between the languages. (Pnina, when explaining meshugahin the text, just says it’s “Jewish for crazy.”) Some jokes may sail over the head of some youngsters, such as a reference to Pat Sajak and Wheel ofFortune. Tan’s textured, full-color cartoon illustrations have an almost cut-paper feel, especially when featuring snowflakes.
A fun winter story that celebrates the novelty of snow.Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2023
ISBN: 978-1778201776
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Tumbleweed Press
Review Posted Online: March 25, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.
Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.
Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593563168
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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