A humorous, if unevenly executed, tale of sibling banter.
One day after school, a pair of siblings try to hash out a trade in this second entry in author/illustrator Testé’s kids’ book series.
The narrator and younger sister Jazz are trying to find something to occupy their time at their uncle’s house after class. Jazz wants her brother to trade his single blue marble for her two green ones, but the narrator politely refuses. Jazz continues to add other elements to her proposal, including a dinosaur tooth and a personal serenade, but to no avail. Next, Jazz tries to convince her sibling with marble-market stock tips, but the narrator stands firm. Green goo from outer space, cryptids, and a fancy gold chain are soon on offer for the single blue marble. Then Jazz proffers a pilot’s license, a flying saucer with an alien map, and finally a laser beam and a locket-bound photon. This last item makes the narrator’s resolve waver, and Jazz knows she’s close to success. She finally offers an invisibility balm, and after a few suggested revisions, her brother’s ready to strike a deal. Then the kids’ uncle Mark interrupts them, which leads to more reconsideration and a good-natured ending. Most of Testé’s text consists of four-line stanzas with an ABCB rhyme scheme, and it’s much longer than the typical picture book. The lengthy sentences add to the absurd humor of Jazz’s negotiation tactics. Some confusing moments feel forced into the rhyme scheme, however: “You may think that this slime / Is spacey comet snot. / But heat it hot in a pot / To see that it is not!” The sparsely colored illustrations lack skin tones; the backgrounds feature plenty of white space, so the human figures sometimes get lost in the vast whiteness of the pages.
A humorous, if unevenly executed, tale of sibling banter.Pub Date: Dec. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1959961048
Page Count: 76
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 14, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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