Warm and compelling, sure to have hearts soaring.
A child’s first day of school is transformed by a gift from her homeland.
Maria Mariposa, a young Mexican immigrant, is thrilled when she looks out the window and sees a butterfly: “¡Una mariposa!” She’s instantly filled with reminders of home: “the black and gold mariachis strumming silver strings, the purple of flower-heavy jacaranda trees holding nests of singing birds.” She’s determined to share her gift with family and neighbors, and she performs acts of kindness for them, sparkling trails of flowers and glitter following in her wake. As Maria boards the city bus, she shares her magic with the driver. Everyone deserves a little magic! But her magic—and confidence—falters when she arrives at school. She has trouble with English, and her classmates laugh at her. Maria encounters a few more bumps along the way, and at lunch, she finds herself alone, the magic all gone. Her loneliness seems huge, but Maria is bigger! She fights her feelings of sadness until magic blooms from within, so big and colorful that she makes a new friend—and new memories. Maria’s a delightful protagonist who faces challenges that many readers, especially young immigrants, will relate to. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout Valenti’s text, which relies on rich, tangible imagery, while the captivating art has a childlike appeal, using color to set the mood on each page.
Warm and compelling, sure to have hearts soaring. (author’s note, resources on butterfly and dragonfly migration) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781797207933
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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