Kids who are ill here on Earth may be entertained by this look at one alien’s cold and his family’s attempts to make him...
Think you have a bad cold? How much worse would it be if your anatomy included two throats, three noses, and five ears?!
Little Alien’s parents and pet try to help him feel better in ways that will seem both familiar and out-of-this-world to earthling readers. When his son’s throats are sore, Daddy Alien zooms off in his spaceship and returns with a Milky Way milkshake. “Granny Alien’s Famous Shooting-Star Ear Drops” are just the ticket for earaches. And when Little Alien complains of his stuffy noses, Daddy Alien calls in the “lunar decongestants,” a trio of little green creatures who carry what might be construed as instruments of torture, especially considering the reactions of Little Alien and Mars Rover. A cool meteor shower for his fever and a settling into bed, and all seems set for sleep…except for the sneeze. Mars Rover can’t take seeing his friend so sick, and so he pulls out all the stops to make Little Alien feel better. Campbell’s pen, watercolor, and colored pencil illustrations keep the focus on the central action, though there are enough tantalizing details of the alien world to whet readers’ appetites. Mama Alien is pink, Daddy’s blue, and their son is green. All are expressive.
Kids who are ill here on Earth may be entertained by this look at one alien’s cold and his family’s attempts to make him feel better. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6502-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
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
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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