A reassuring daydream of a book that will foster a sense of life’s possibilities in children.
“With every step you take, adventure skips along beside you.”
An adventurous young Black boy who lives in an underwater kingdom waves goodbye to his mother (also Black) as he sets out for a day of outdoor fun and exploration. While he is away, the second-person narrator, who is an extension of the boy’s mother, muses about all of the things that the boy—her “Little Wonder”—will see, do, and experience on his literal and metaphorical journeys through the world. He will make surprising discoveries, meet new friends, “find hidden pathways that lead to wonderful treasures,” and discover that “the world is boundless.” Confirming the mother’s vision, the illustrations show the boy following a treasure map that leads him to a dazzling banquet hall; befriending sea creatures and a friendly monster; and even visiting the terrestrial world. There are challenges and moments of fear, but the boy can be assured of what the mother-narrator promises: “I'm always with you,” and “I will forever be your biggest fan.” A dreamlike quality surrounds this gentle fantasy whose narrative thrust recalls Seuss’ All the Places You’ll Go (1990). Narrated in a tone reminiscent of greeting-card verse (of the better variety), the story brims with positivity, encourages children’s independence, and celebrates the bond between caregiver and child. The warm, digitally rendered illustrations show imaginative undersea landscapes that will draw young readers in.
A reassuring daydream of a book that will foster a sense of life’s possibilities in children. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-79720-812-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug.
What to do when you’re a prickly animal hankering for a hug? Why, find another misfit animal also searching for an embrace!
Sweet but “tricky to hug” little Hedgehog is down in the dumps. Wandering the forest, Hedgehog begs different animals for hugs, but each rejects them. Readers will giggle at their panicked excuses—an evasive squirrel must suddenly count its three measly acorns; a magpie begins a drawn-out song—but will also be indignant on poor hedgehog’s behalf. Hedgehog has the appealingly pink-cheeked softness typical of Dunbar’s art, and the gentle watercolors are nonthreatening, though she also captures the animals’ genuine concern about being poked. A wise owl counsels the dejected hedgehog that while the prickles may frighten some, “there’s someone for everyone.” That’s when Hedgehog spots a similarly lonely tortoise, rejected due to its “very hard” shell but perfectly matched for a spiky new friend. They race toward each other until the glorious meeting, marked with swoony peach swirls and overjoyed grins. At this point, readers flip the book to hear the same gloomy tale from the tortoise’s perspective until it again culminates in that joyous hug, a book turn that’s made a pleasure with thick creamy paper and solid binding.
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-571-34875-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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