An ambitious, phantasmagorical work, though unlikely to resonate with its target audience.
A surreal trip to the unknown, full of possibilities and nothingness.
Translated from Hungarian, this unique picture book consisting of short stories challenges young readers to think outside the box and ponder the nature of the world we live in as well as the limitless opportunities of the worlds we don’t. Each tale starts off with the time-honored “Once upon a time” and is accompanied by a dreamlike collage illustration. The first half of the collection features existential stories that focus on “nothing,” “anything,” and “everything,” while the second half consists of more straightforward, fablelike narratives that tackle the larger concepts highlighted in the earlier stories. Many (though not all) of the tales ask readers related questions, highlighted in an all-caps bolded font: “What else do you think wasn’t in this nothing?” “This is an unfinished story. How would you tell it?” This is a lofty attempt to show young readers the infinite nature of our world; many of the concepts will go over the heads of those most likely to pick this book up. The illustrations waffle between fanciful and bizarre, potentially putting young readers further off. Older readers, who might be able to comprehend the complex subject matter, may be turned off by the format.
An ambitious, phantasmagorical work, though unlikely to resonate with its target audience. (Picture book/short stories. 7-10)Pub Date: May 14, 2024
ISBN: 9781945492860
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Transit Children's Editions
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A nice and timely depiction of an immigrant child experience.
Speaking up is hard when you’re shy, and it can be even harder if you’ve got two languages in your head.
Third-grader Estrella “Stella” Díaz, is a shy, Mexican-American girl who draws pictures and loves fish, and she lives in Chicago with her mother and older brother, Nick. Jenny, Stella’s best friend, isn’t in her class this year, and Stella feels lonely—especially when she sees that Vietnamese-American Jenny is making new friends. When a new student, Stanley Mason, arrives in her class, Stella introduces herself in Spanish to the white former Texan without realizing it and becomes embarrassed. Surely Stanley won’t want to befriend her after that—but he seems to anyway. Stella often confuses the pronunciation between English and Spanish sounds and takes speech classes. As an immigrant with a green card—a “legal alien,” according to her teacher—Stella feels that she doesn’t fully belong to either American culture or Mexican culture, and this is nicely reflected in her not being fully comfortable in either language, an experience familiar to many immigrant and first-generation children. This early-middle-grade book features italicized Spanish words and phrases with direct translations right after. There is a small subplot about bullying from Stella’s classmate, and readers will cheer as they see how, with the help of her friends and family, Stella overcomes her shyness and gives a presentation on Jacques Cousteau. Dominguez’s friendly black-and-white drawings grace most pages.
A nice and timely depiction of an immigrant child experience. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62672-858-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
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