by Cao Wenxuan ; illustrated by Yu Rong ; translated by Yan Ding ; adapted by Erin Stein ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2019
Children will return often to enjoy the interactive opportunities and the harmony that prevails.
In the spirit of Aesop, the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen winner weaves an animal fable set in the grasslands.
Seven creatures are desperate for relief from the sweltering sun. After they argue and vie for a spot under the single tree, the elephant muscles his way underneath. The sight of the giant trying to cool off under several tiny leaves is so hilarious the animals burst into laughter. Their attention is diverted by the sight of a child walking by in his father’s shadow. In a brilliant design feature, the next six pages are cut to gradually increase in width, moving from 3 ½ inches to 10 inches, as each creature, starting with the lynx, crosses the gutter to offer shade to smaller beings. Yu cleverly contrasts a lineup of wilting figures rendered in pencil on the verso with smiling, colorful, cut-paper versions on subsequent rectos. Before the page turns, viewers can spot a silhouetted portion of the next animal’s shadow, setting up a guessing game. Ultimately, a natural solution offers coolness for all. Touches of internal rhyme, alliteration, foreshadowing, and descriptive specificity elevate the telling: “Hens doze in the dusty shade of haystacks, and the melon farmer fans himself, under a canopy.” As in fables of yesteryear, Cao holds a mirror to selfishness as well as to an individual’s ability to transcend that tendency.
Children will return often to enjoy the interactive opportunities and the harmony that prevails. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-31006-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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by Loren Long ; illustrated by Loren Long ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2024
A steady paean to time’s passing and the pleasures found along the way.
A front-seat view of a school bus’s long and varied life.
Deftly invoking the anthropomorphized objects in books of old (as in the works of Virginia Lee Burton), Long introduces readers to a small town and the yellow bus that serves it. Using charcoal and graphite, the author/artist portrays a mostly black-and-white world; he relies on colorful acrylics to depict those who enter the bus (who's described with female pronouns), including children ferried to school. Time goes on, and the bus is repurposed to take the elderly around town. Later, she’s abandoned near an overpass but finds a new role sheltering unhoused people. Finally, she’s taken to a farm, where she becomes a playground for goats. With each iteration, we hear the sounds of her passengers, human and otherwise, and the repeated phrase “And they filled her with joy.” At long last a damming project leaves her underwater, but fish find a home in the bus and make her happy. A final view of the town displays a single wavery point of yellow visible beneath the water. Backmatter explains both Long’s inspiration and the model town he made as a visual aid. Though this is a tale of decay over time, the book’s gentle narration, fun sound effects, and empathy grant the old vehicle dignity in her deconstruction. Characters are diverse.
A steady paean to time’s passing and the pleasures found along the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: 9781250903136
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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