A lovely retelling.
Set long ago, “when the Earth was very young,” this story explains the origins of the Chinese moon goddess.
Chang’e is full of love. Her love is returned—by the trees, the animals, the wind, and, most of all, her husband, Hou-Yi. The pair travel together “to protect the people and create caring communities.” One day, 10 scorching suns appear in the sky. With life on Earth on the brink of destruction, Chang’e and Hou-Yi cannot stand by. A formidable archer, Hou-Yi pierces the suns with his arrows until only one remains. In thanks, the heavenly Jade Emperor and his goddess wife, Xiwangmu, give them an elixir that grants them immortality. But there’s only enough for one of them, so the lovers decide to live out the rest of their lives as humans—together. When Peng Meng, Hou Yi’s jealous apprentice, schemes to steal the elixir for himself, Chang’e sacrifices their mortal future together and drinks the elixir herself. As explained in the author’s note, the legend of Chang’e has many variations. Moore centers her retelling on the couple’s kindhearted qualities and their enduring love. As moon goddess, Chang’e watches over the Earth for all eternity. Hou-Yi spends the rest of his living days devoted to honoring Chang’e and their shared passion of community care, and the story of her sacrifice sparks a celebration in her honor: the Mid-Autumn Festival. Li’s painterly illustrations beautifully capture Moore’s text.
A lovely retelling. (Mandarin version of the tale) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780063295803
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
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