A few cultural inaccuracies in the art detract from an otherwise appealing rendition.
A quiet test of integrity plays out in this retelling of a Chinese folktale.
In search of an heir of good character, the emperor invites all the children to the palace, including Peng, who loves to garden. Each child is given a seed and instructed to plant and care for it for one year before returning to show the fruits of their labor. The gentle narration reveals Peng’s anguish as he diligently cares for the seed only to have nothing sprout. The whimsical, softly textured illustrations exude warmth as Peng presents an empty pot to the emperor in contrast to the other children’s thriving blooms. A smiling emperor reveals that he purposefully gave them seeds that would not sprout—Peng is the only child to prove honest and courageous. While the portrayal of now Emperor Peng is charming, there are a few curious artistic choices. Much of the clothing, especially of female-presenting characters, is more similar to traditional Japanese dress rather than the contrasting layers of period Chinese dress, and many hairstyles also seem to evoke Japanese styles—an unnecessary decision that inadvertently suggests Asian cultures are interchangeable. The illustrator’s note states that the story is “set in an imaginary ancient Chinese world” and is a “uniquely personal interpretation that pays homage to the influence of Chinese art on me,” but a faithful depiction set in a real China would have been a more respectful tribute. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A few cultural inaccuracies in the art detract from an otherwise appealing rendition. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781636550466
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Red Comet Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965) upgrades to The Mice and the Rolls-Royce.
In Windsor Castle there sits a “dollhouse like no other,” replete with working plumbing, electricity, and even a full library of real, tiny books. Called Queen Mary’s Dollhouse, it also plays host to the Whiskers family, a clan of mice that has maintained the house for generations. Henry Whiskers and his cousin Jeremy get up to the usual high jinks young mice get up to, but when Henry’s little sister Isabel goes missing at the same time that the humans decide to clean the house up, the usually bookish big brother goes on the adventure of his life. Now Henry is driving cars, avoiding cats, escaping rats, and all before the upcoming mouse Masquerade. Like an extended version of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904), Priebe keeps this short chapter book constantly moving, with Duncan’s peppy art a cute capper. Oddly, the dollhouse itself plays only the smallest of roles in this story, and no factual information on the real Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is included at the tale’s end (an opportunity lost).
Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales. (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6575-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
A life devoted to freedom and dignity, worthy of praise and remembrance.
With the words of Massachusetts colonial rebels ringing in her ears, a slave determines to win her freedom.
In 1780, Mumbet heard the words of the new Massachusetts constitution, including its declaration of freedom and equality. With the help of a young lawyer, she went to court and the following year, won her freedom, becoming Elizabeth Freeman. Slavery was declared illegal and subsequently outlawed in the state. Woelfle writes with fervor as she describes Mumbet’s life in the household of John Ashley, a rich landowner and businessman who hosted protest meetings against British taxation. His wife was abrasive and abusive, striking out with a coal shovel at a young girl, possibly Mumbet’s daughter. Mumbet deflected the blow and regarded the wound as “her badge of bravery.” Ironically, the lawyer who took her case, Theodore Sedgwick, had attended John Ashley’s meetings. Delinois’ full-bleed paintings are heroic in scale, richly textured and vibrant. Typography becomes part of the page design as the font increases when the text mentions freedom. Another slave in the Ashley household was named in the court case, but Woelfle, keeping her young audience in mind, keeps it simple, wisely focusing on Mumbet.
A life devoted to freedom and dignity, worthy of praise and remembrance. (author’s note, selected bibliography, further reading) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7613-6589-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
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