A poignant exploration of longing and connection.
A mother and child navigate the depths of memory amid the beauty of a picturesque wood.
Every time the two of them hike together, the mother whispers, “Que saudade!” At first the young narrator is hesitant to ask what it means. When the little one finally asks, Mamãe tries to put the feeling into words to help the child understand. She describes a sense of nostalgia and the memories that bubble up when scents, feelings, or places remind her of growing up in Brazil. Saudade is “a strong longing for something you can’t have.” While Mamãe enjoys reminiscing, she also feels heartache; she misses her homeland and loved ones. The child remembers a recent visit to Brazil, where the little one had fun adventures, hiking with cousins and swimming with grandparents. But now the child must use a laptop to communicate with those relatives. Memories are bittersweet when family members are so far away. The term “saudade” lets the little one name the feeling, and while these emotions are painful, they help the child feel connected to culture and family. Softly rendered digital and watercolor illustrations aptly bring to life the fond memories recalled throughout the story, while the text exudes tenderness. In an author’s note, Crespo discusses this Portuguese and Galician word further and speaks to her experiences as a Brazilian immigrant. Mamãe and the child have tan skin and brown hair; a broad range of skin tones are depicted throughout.
A poignant exploration of longing and connection. (Portuguese glossary) (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: 9780823452293
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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
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