A tale that is truly mew-sic to the ears.
A budding musician finds an unexpected audience.
Entranced by the soaring, beautiful sounds of his small Bolivian town’s orchestra, brown-skinned Rubin embarks on a journey to master the violin. His first try does not go as planned, with the screeching sound of his instrument eliciting giggles from the other young musicians. But the determined child quietly perseveres, and after the day’s practice, he ventures into a thick, verdant forest to practice alone. There, his discordant notes attract the attention of cats who accompany his violin with their howling mews, keeping to his volume and tempo with gusto. Night after night, the group continues to practice with enthusiasm, with their efforts culminating in a uniquely magnificent performance for the town. Zhang’s rough, expressive brush strokes make each page vibrate with sound and movement in a lively visual symphony. The dramatic and exaggerated expressions of the cats—who grow in number and are chaotically strewn about the pages—are bound to draw delighted laughter. This charming story of a boy finding his sound will inspire beginners to persist in their endeavors and to approach their creative journeys with passion and confidence—even if their skills may not be there yet. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A tale that is truly mew-sic to the ears. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781338648263
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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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