A well-crafted, informative, and entertaining insect adventure.
A young butterfly prepares for her first migration in this illustrated children’s book.
Kai is a purple butterfly who lives in “Taiwan, a beautiful island also known as the Butterfly Kingdom.” She’s preparing for her first migration from the northern tip of Taiwan to the southern district of Maolin. Ami, her older sister, teaches her special butterfly dances along the way. They stop at various Taiwanese landmarks as they travel, including Cape Santiago Lighthouse, Golden Waterfall, Red Hair Fort, Freedom Square, and “the tallest building in Taiwan, Taipei 101.” Kai is unsure of her ability to learn the butterfly dances from Ami. But Ami proves to be her cheerleader, offering her plenty of positive encouragement. As they get closer to their destination, they traverse the Taiwan Central Mountain Range and “pass by trees that reach the moon.” They arrive at the Butterfly Highway and meet a number of new friends who guide them on their way. When Ami is injured, Kai must take her place in the Winter Festival dance show. Kai again lacks confidence in her abilities, and Ami reassures her. Over the course of this book, Lee offers young readers a motivational story of butterfly migration while also sharing informative tidbits about famous locations throughout Taiwan; a glossary provides additional facts about specific spots. In addition, there’s an effective can-do message, shown through the example of Ami and, later, through Kai’s actions. Su’s anthropomorphic butterfly and animal illustrations are colorful and whimsical in ways that are sure to appeal to young children. An array of characters of different ages appear in the images, including an elderly woman who uses a wheelchair.
A well-crafted, informative, and entertaining insect adventure.Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-913891-17-6
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Balestier Press
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p>
Caregiver-child love abounds in this rhyming board book full of animal puns.
One thing’s for certain, there’s plenty of sweet (and groanworthy) sentiments in this book. Rossner writes, “Giving HOGS and kisses / sends me to the moon!” and, “I’m such a lucky DUCK. / You really QUACK me up!” The book progresses entirely in this fashion, with a new animal pair and pun with each page turn. It reads well as a book for a caregiver to share with a lap-sitting child. On that mark, it succeeds in providing plenty of opportunities for giggles and snuggles. That said, at times the meter is forced, making the cadence a bit stilted, and the cuddles/bubbles rhyme is a dubious one. This is an issue for a book that will almost solely be read aloud. Gibson’s illustrations are very charming; the animals and insects with big eyes and expressive faces have high appeal. The warmth of the animals’ embraces and cuddles translates well from the page, inviting the same snuggles from readers. Decorated eggs appear on each page, and the bunny pair from the cover features prominently. Overall, the concept and message of the book are high interest and age-appropriate, but it doesn’t stand out from the very crowded shelf of “I love you, little one!” books similar to it.
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p> (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2343-8
Page Count: 25
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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BOOK REVIEW
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