A creative, myth-based ecological tale.
In Lee’s children’s book, mermaid characters tackle ocean pollution.
Mei, a mermaid from Orchid Island, just off Taiwan, receives a letter from Princess Hwangok of the Mermaids International Rescue Alliance saying that “Pirate Polymer is creating trouble in the East Sea” and Mei must gather her mermaid team. She begins her adventure in Batticaloa Lagoon on Sri Lanka where there’s an oil spill, then meets parrotfish and dugongs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Near Belum Rainforest, she finds her mermaid friend Duyung; they see various sea creatures, including a blue whale, while rounding up other mermaid teammates. Later, sea turtles guide them to Tuki, a whale shark, who’s “ill from eating too much plastic.” A few humans also join the mermaids’ cause. Finally, the team finds Pirate Polymer dumping trash into the ocean, which is harmful to his beloved Irrawaddy dolphins. Readers will be eager to see if the MIRA team succeeds in stopping him. Lee adeptly weaves Asian Pacific locations, animals, and mythology into an inspiring, environmentally conscious story that entertains and educates children. Lee presents many learning opportunities throughout, and Su’s cartoon illustrations of Asian Pacific culture are colorful and detailed. Ocean pollution and dangers to sea life are prominent throughout, and important information follows in backmatter about the narrative’s animals, mythology, geography, and historical references.
A creative, myth-based ecological tale.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9781913891589
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Balestier Press
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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