Moralistic and factually muddled; readers might prefer to simply listen to Album for the Young.
A mouse listens as a composer brings his family a musical gift in this entry in the Little Stories of Great Composers series.
Minim, a music-loving mouse, secretly lives with Sasha and Bobik, niece and nephew, respectively, of the celebrated Russian composer Pyotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. Uncle Petya’s arrival means fun and presents, but the children are disappointed when Uncle Petya unveils a musical score rather than a toy. Then he sits down at the piano, and both children and Minim close their eyes to imagine Uncle Petya’s travels. As the children’s piano skills improve they come to appreciate the way their uncle’s gift has given them “much more pleasure than some ordinary toy.” Educational and with an explicit moral, this slight piece lacks conflict save for a short, thrilling moment when Minim is chased by the children’s mother. Rich textures and brocadelike patterns evoke a sumptuous house and grand clothes. All human characters present White. Colm Feore’s crisp narration adds warmth to the audio version, which includes a few snippets of Tchaikovsky’s music and is available on an accompanying CD and as a downloadable MP3 file. Backmatter consists of information about Tchaikovsky and his Album for the Young, which was dedicated to his nephew; it fails to mention that a few years later Tchaikovsky would write love letters to Bobik. It is also unclear if Sasha is a fictional character or perhaps a mashup of the composer’s sister and niece.
Moralistic and factually muddled; readers might prefer to simply listen to Album for the Young. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-2-924774-83-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: The Secret Mountain
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A must-own adaptation chock-full of such stuff as kids’ dreams are—and will be—made on.
Mirth, magic, and mischief abound in this picture-book retelling of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
Ariel, the beloved sprite whose conjurings precipitate the eponymous tempest, gets top billing in this adaptation and recounts the narrative in the first person. Through Ariel’s eyes, readers are introduced to the powerful Prospero, his lovely daughter, Miranda, and the shipwrecked nobles who are brought to the island to right an ancient wrong. Ellinas’ picture book largely divests the tale of its colonialist underpinnings and breathes three-dimensional complexity into the major and minor characters. Caliban, for instance, is monstrous due to his callous treatment of Ariel rather than because he is racially coded as savage. Another delightful change is the depiction of Miranda, who emerges as an athletic, spirited, and beautiful nature-child whose charms are understandably irresistible to Prince Ferdinand. The text is perfectly matched by Ray’s jaw-droppingly beautiful illustrations, which will enchant readers from the front cover to the final curtain. The greens of the waters and the blues of the island’s night sky are so lush and inviting that readers will wish they could enter the book. Peppered throughout the story are italicized fragments of Shakespeare’s dialogue, giving both young and older readers something to enjoy. Large, granite-colored Caliban is plainly nonhuman; the human characters present white; Ariel is a translucent, paper white.
A must-own adaptation chock-full of such stuff as kids’ dreams are—and will be—made on. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1144-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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