Basic content with all-star illustrations.
The veggiesaurs face off against the meat eaters in a dinosaur hockey game.
This rhyming board book features hockey-playing dinosaurs as they glide across the ice in front of an excited crowd. With simple text—often no more than two to three words on a page—and an appealing subject matter, this lends itself nicely to toddler readers. Gott’s illustrations capture the speed of the game and the crowd’s enthusiasm. One particularly action-packed scene shows a puck slamming toward the goal, the goalie Troodon’s surprise and determination evident on its face. Gott’s ice shines, while the dinosaurs are depicted in eye-catching greens, beiges, and oranges. The action-packed scenes include dinosaur head-butting moves along with slick hockey skills. There are lots of details, such as the time display on the Jumbotron, the “DHL” logo on the rink, and the names and numbers on the players’ jerseys. The rhyming text is largely descriptive (“Dino-skates. / Stick and puck”), with a simplicity and bouncy rhyme that pace the story appropriately and allow the illustrations to take the lead. Overall, this is a great fit for dino fans and future sports fans. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Basic content with all-star illustrations. (Board book. 0-2)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72844-616-5
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Brava!
From award winner Telgemeier (Smile, 2010), a pitch-perfect graphic novel portrayal of a middle school musical, adroitly capturing the drama both on and offstage.
Seventh-grader Callie Marin is over-the-moon to be on stage crew again this year for Eucalyptus Middle School’s production of Moon over Mississippi. Callie's just getting over popular baseball jock and eighth-grader Greg, who crushed her when he left Callie to return to his girlfriend, Bonnie, the stuck-up star of the play. Callie's healing heart is quickly captured by Justin and Jesse Mendocino, the two very cute twins who are working on the play with her. Equally determined to make the best sets possible with a shoestring budget and to get one of the Mendocino boys to notice her, the immensely likable Callie will find this to be an extremely drama-filled experience indeed. The palpably engaging and whip-smart characterization ensures that the charisma and camaraderie run high among those working on the production. When Greg snubs Callie in the halls and misses her reference to Guys and Dolls, one of her friends assuredly tells her, "Don't worry, Cal. We’re the cool kids….He's the dork." With the clear, stylish art, the strongly appealing characters and just the right pinch of drama, this book will undoubtedly make readers stand up and cheer.
Brava! (Graphic fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-32698-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
SEEN & HEARD
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
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