A charming concept book, an upbeat romp, and an ode to South Asian cuisine, all in one delectable package.
An Indian grandfather and child head to the market to stock up for a party—and find themselves embarking on a lesson in counting.
Sona and Dada (Grandfather) wander around, encountering foods from a variety of Indian culinary traditions. They pick up “20 ladoos at this store” and then “19 elaichis from a drawer.” The book continues counting backward as the pair buy “18 sheeras from that man.” What’s next? “16 mangoes in a line,” “15 flavors on the sign!” and “13 tikkis—so delish!” Sona and Dada even stop for eclairs, which, the authors explain, are served in the southeast Indian city of Pondicherry, once a French colony. At the end of their shopping trip, the two return home and prepare a celebratory picnic for friends and family. The book’s bright illustrations make use of enticing patterns and feature background characters with a variety of skin tones and hair textures. Filled with color and movement, the artwork brims with joyful chaos. The jaunty verse, presented in couplets, cleverly covers a wide variety of foods, although at times the authors sacrifice word choice for the sake of a rhyme. Accompanying the main text are explanatory notes in a smaller font, which include pronunciations for Hindi words and definitions. This is a well-thought-out, refreshingly original work, with whimsical illustrations beautifully complementing the exuberant text.
A charming concept book, an upbeat romp, and an ode to South Asian cuisine, all in one delectable package. (Concept book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9781665934008
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
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