A splendid, gentle introduction to environmental activism.
In this picture book from the Pulitzer Prize winner and her daughter, two youngsters embark on adventures.
Three relationships subtly unfold in this captivating tale: coyotes and their world, Diana and her grandfather, and other humans and Earth’s remaining wilderness. One summer afternoon, Coyote Pup’s aunt takes him on his first hunt. Close by, young Diana begins her first camping trip. Diana asks about this environment, new to her; Grandpa points out the wildlife around them and discusses their role as appreciative visitors. Pages alternate between the coyotes and the humans. For both young ones, the emphasis is on their senses, especially Coyote Pup’s keen nose and Diana’s sharp eyes as she spots prints and scat. Grandpa tells Diana that if there are too many deer and rabbits, the forest will be overrun; coyotes help keep things in balance by hunting these herbivores. Meanwhile, Coyote Pup encounters his first prey, a vole. Coyote Pup and Diana (who goes fishing with her grandfather) both fail at their first predations, and both compensate with wild berries; their parallel family warmth also connects them. Grandpa warns Diana against overfishing: "We take what we need and no more." Backmatter offers more information about coyotes and how to help them. Richly detailed paintings provide a vivid virtual forest visit and breathtaking close-ups of the coyotes. Diana and Grandpa present white; the coyotes are gloriously real.
A splendid, gentle introduction to environmental activism. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9780940719484
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gryphon Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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