A delicate, devastating story about living with loss.
Cotton-candy clouds, sweet forest animals, and a strong bond between a girl and a monster frame an unexpectedly poignant story of grief.
Young Valentina, a girl with pale skin and a tangle of red hair, comes to a forest one day, attracted by the scent of sugary sweetness. The source is a new cotton-candy stand run by Monster, a giant, shaggy, horned creature covered in pale pink fur. The two become instant friends, building spun clouds that float above a fantasy world in which verdant hills have eyes and stuffed animals become tea-party companions. But early in the story, hints of a darker subtext appear. Monster helps Valentina with her nightmares, and Valentina brightens Monster’s fur with her love. When the dark of winter arrives, Monster disappears, never to return. The forest animals arrive to comfort her. A rabbit elder explains, “At some point, when the body grows old, it stops feeling, stops breathing. It fades away. We leave this world to start a new journey. It was Monster’s time to journey on.” The memory of Monster’s love keeps Valentina’s nightmares from returning, and when she grows up and has a daughter of her own, Monster’s legacy and the forest’s healing powers stay with her. Ruiz’s tale is haunting and uniquely styled, with its fantastical elements perfectly balanced by a profoundly wise understanding of grief. Unlike the stretchy pink clouds that dot the sky, it’s an examination of death and trauma that is anything but sugarcoated. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
A delicate, devastating story about living with loss. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4788-7059-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Reycraft Books
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Warm but underdone.
In this picture book from actor Gyllenhaal and his partner, Caruso, a child and his uncle bond on a fantastic journey.
Leo, an avid dancer, is dismayed when Uncle Mo visits—he’s in town for a “rubber band convention.” Illustrations show both with wavy brown hair and light tan skin. Not only does Leo think his uncle is rather dull, he’s also leery of Uncle Mo’s many rules. A rather abrupt narrative shift occurs when the pair inexplicably drive into another dimension. Here they encounter Great-Aunt Gloria (who is very tall and presents Black) and Uncle Munkle Carbunkle (who is very short and light-skinned), who guide them through the Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles. Unimpressed with Uncle Mo, Great-Aunt Gloria says he must take a quiz on “Auntieology and Uncleology.” After several wrong answers, Uncle Mo has a final chance at redemption: He must state his nephew’s favorite activity. When Leo springs into action to dance for his clueless uncle, a mishap leaves him mortified and un-bespectacled. Enter Uncle Mo to save the day by using a rubber band to secure Leo’s glasses. While Santat’s energetic illustrations do much to clarify the narrative, they can’t fully make up for the disjointed storytelling—it’s never clear why the two have entered this dimension or why Leo is suddenly so eager to help Uncle Mo. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Warm but underdone. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781250776990
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures.
Pippa conquers a fear of the creatures that emerge from her storybooks at night.
Pippa’s “wonderfully wild imagination” can sometimes run “a little TOO wild.” During the day, she wears her “armor” and is a force to be reckoned with. But in bed at night, Pippa worries about “villains and monsters and beasts.” Sharp-toothed and -taloned shadows, dragons, and pirates emerge from her storybooks like genies from a bottle, just to scare her. Pippa flees to her parents’ room only to be brought back time and again. Finally, Pippa decides that she “needs a plan” to “get rid of them once and for all.” She decides to slip a written invitation into every book, and that night, they all come out. She tries subduing them with a lasso, an eye patch, and a sombrero, but she is defeated. Next, she tries “sashes and sequins and bows,” throwing the fashion pieces on the monsters, who…“begin to pose and primp and preen.” After that success, their fashion show becomes a nightly ritual. Clever Pippa’s transformation from scared victim of her own imagination to leader of the monster pack feels fairly sudden, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. The cartoony illustrations effectively use dynamic strokes, shadow, and light to capture action on the page and the feeling of Pippa's fears taking over her real space. Pippa and her parents are brown-skinned with curls of various textures.
A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5420-9300-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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