Smith soars in this earnest, meditative work about longing, the joy of interaction, and family. Absolutely radiant.
A lone child explores the natural world and its many animal tribes, collective noun by collective noun, ultimately finding a place of belonging.
Against a frosty mountain backdrop, a child is hidden among a tribe of kids—goats, that is. After each departs, the youth is left alone until a colony of penguins offers sport. With them there is waddling and ample hugs. But an icy plunge leads the leaf-clad child on. Across jewel-colored waters, bright jungles, and earthy terrains, the protagonist travels, observing, imitating, and playing with the animals. But still there is a loneliness, even among the flight of butterflies—and especially when dwarfed by the moonlit ocean. After a night of dreams, the child climbs from a bed of clams onto the beach to find a trail of colorful shells leading home. Vibrant, refined illustrations propel the story forward. Each spread is gorgeously textured and colored, and everything has a crisp, defined edge. Never one to miss a comedic opportunity, Smith plays with puns in both writing and art. Beginning with the tribe of goat-kids, whom the child tries to blend with, and ending with a tribe of treehouse children whose merry play would invite any reader in, the revelatory repeat of “There is a TRIBE of KIDS” rings as a welcoming mantra of acceptance and love. Witty and humorous, never irreverent, this is a celebration of sharing and belonging, as a multiracial family hugs their adventurer on the closing page.
Smith soars in this earnest, meditative work about longing, the joy of interaction, and family. Absolutely radiant. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62672-056-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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