Lovely lessons to learn here, gently and kindly told.
Maddie is adjusting to her new life in Israel, but she misses Thanksgiving with her U.S. relatives.
When Maddie’s new friend Orly invites her to a celebration of Sigd, an Ethiopian Jewish holiday, Maddie decides to contribute a pumpkin pie to the feast. There are no pumpkins or evaporated milk in Israel, so Maddie and Orly draw pictures of the missing ingredients to show to their neighbors, all Jewish families from around the world, by way of asking for contributions across language barriers. Mrs. Ivanova from Ukraine substitutes a butternut squash for the pumpkin. Mr. Tautang from India provides coconut cream, and Mrs. Calderon from Mexico supplies tortillas for a pie crust. Together, Maddie, her dad, and Orly prepare the pie. Everyone samples the food at the feast, just like Thanksgiving. Maddie tries several “interesting” dishes and politely puts them aside. When Orly has exactly the same reaction to the pie, giggles ensue. The kess, an Ethiopian rabbi, reminds them that Sigd and Thanksgiving are both opportunities to be thankful that they are in Jerusalem together. With a diverse cast of appealing characters and the sweet friendship between the two girls, MacLeod stresses the connections among all the members of the Jewish diaspora. Damanti’s detailed vignettes follow the proceedings closely and depict the dark brown skin of the Ethiopian characters, the brown and white shades of the neighbors, as well as Maddie and her dad’s midtoned shades of white.
Lovely lessons to learn here, gently and kindly told. (author’s note) (Picture book/religion. 5-9)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68115-566-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
