Vibrant illustrations highlight the beauty of the region, elevating a lackluster story.
A young Indian girl champions a green alternative to save the river from pollution.
Prema is looking forward to the Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations, where idols of the elephant-headed god are venerated and submerged in the river at the end of 10-day festivities. In recent years, painted plaster statues have begun to clog the river, polluting the water. Prema knows this only too well—her mother fell sick from chemicals in the paint. Inspiration strikes when Prema realizes that she can use river clay to create a Ganesh statue. She enlists the assistance of her friends, and slowly other children help her by sourcing natural elements to add to the biodegradable statues. When it comes time for the celebrations, most people still bring traditional plaster statues to the river, but Prema’s statues are the talk of the village—and Prema has high hopes for next year. Lively illustrations feature a range of brown-skinned characters; artist Dasgupta’s note mentions that she incorporated intricate local fabric patterns and geometric art designs known as kolam from Tamil Nadu, where the protagonist lives. Prema’s community is an inclusive one, with a child who uses a crutch and a Muslim child being depicted. The problem and solution feel too pat, however, with explanatory language breaking the flow of the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Vibrant illustrations highlight the beauty of the region, elevating a lackluster story. (information on Ganesh Chaturthi, instructions for creating sculpting dough and making a statue, author’s note) (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781646869978
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A touching, beautifully illustrated story of greatest interest to those in the New York City area.
A pair of cardinals is separated and then reunited when their tree home is moved to New York City to serve as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The male cardinal, Red, and his female partner, Lulu, enjoy their home in a huge evergreen tree located in the front yard of a small house in a pleasant neighborhood. When the tree is cut down and hauled away on a truck, Lulu is still inside the tree. Red follows the truck into the city but loses sight of it and gets lost. The birds are reunited when Red finds the tree transformed with colored lights and serving as the Christmas tree in a complex of city buildings. When the tree is removed after Christmas, the birds find a new home in a nearby park. Each following Christmas, the pair visit the new tree erected in the same location. Attractive illustrations effectively handle some difficult challenges of dimension and perspective and create a glowing, magical atmosphere for the snowy Christmas trees. The original owners of the tree are a multiracial family with two children; the father is African-American and the mother is white. The family is in the background in the early pages, reappearing again skating on the rink at Rockefeller Center with their tree in the background.
A touching, beautifully illustrated story of greatest interest to those in the New York City area. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7733-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
Thoughtful and joyful.
A child of Vietnamese descent fantasizes about the perfect outfit for Tết.
One night, Mai dreams about being a big “STAAAAAAR” and fielding questions on the red carpet. Mai’s literal dream dress is a sparkly silver ballroom gown with a sweetheart cut. After waking up, the child is eager to tell Ba all about it, but first it’s time to get ready. It’s the first day of Tết, or Lunar New Year, and the family plans to celebrate at Mai’s grandmother’s house. Though Mai loves visiting Bà Nội, the child balks at donning the áo dài, a Vietnamese outfit consisting of a tunic worn over trousers. “Stars wear dresses and gowns,” Mai tells Ba. But Ba shows Mai the family photo album, explaining that Bà Nội had her own sewing school in Vietnam and that her students lovingly dubbed her the “Queen of Áo Dài.” To keep their traditions alive when the family emigrated, Bà Nội continued to make áo dài for her loved ones, and the children learned to sew them as an expression of love. Finally, with a newfound appreciation for the garment, Mai greets Bà Nội with a hug, clad in a customized áo dài made by Ba. Told entirely through naturally expressed and well-paced dialogue and accompanied by vividly textured illustrations, this is a loving tale of a family finding a creative way to reshape a beloved tradition.
Thoughtful and joyful. (glossary, “let’s design our own áo dài” activity) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781665917346
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: today
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