Elegantly understated.
The Tolmans (The Tree House, 2010) take readers on another wordless adventure as their polar bear protagonist journeys to a place of wonderment and peace.
A polar bear descends from a cloud to observe a puffin colony. Far in the distance is a sun-shaped structure to which he swims; first, through a stunning reinterpretation of Hokusai’s The Wave, then through gentle waters, in whose depths dolphins play. At each destination, another calls in the distance, beckoning the genial bear forth. Lush, little islands, tropical trees and the lyrical silhouettes of roughly hewn structures invite exploration and new encounters. These whimsical, mixed-media illustrations fill the senses with gorgeous moments of joy and quietude. Together, this father-and-daughter team uses a complex visual vocabulary to create a deep visual narrative. Skill has been applied to the paintings, with their wide swaths of color, reminiscent of a Rothko color-field, and loose, deliberate drawings. But much like Rothko’s work, this tale’s ability to reach viewers is extremely subjective. Some may think it pleasant but simplistic, while others may project deep meaning onto it. Either way, the bear takes his journey, never knowing where it will lead or how the dots will connect. But readers will be left with a feeling of dreamy serenity, as the bear and his newfound soul mate gaze into an infinite starry sky, their island aglow in a sea of darkness.
Elegantly understated. (Picture book. 3 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-935954-19-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lemniscaat USA
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2012
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
File under “laugh riot.”
A rogue spell-check program’s bid to transform all life-forms into that eminently useful office item, the paper clip, touches off a fresh round of lunar lunacy.
Predicated on the entirely reasonable premise that eliminating all spelling and grammar errors everywhere would logically lead to the necessity of exterminating carbon-based life in the universe, this third series entry combines high stakes with daffy banter and daring exploits. CheckMate—a chipper, jumped-up editing program—has invented the Transmogratron, a giant laser that will fulfill its ultimate goals in both the cyber world and “meatspace.” Facing challenges as random as prankster lunar unicorns and a disarmingly motherly Motherboard, scowling First Cat joins a motley crew of diversely carbon- and silicon-based allies, led by the pearlescent Queen of the Moon. They’re in a race to the finish—diverted occasionally by, for instance, a relentlessly punny comic-book interlude featuring a pair of literal and figurative Pool Sharks. They ultimately triumph thanks to teamwork and moxie. Following a celebratory party and toasts to “new friends…and steadfast comrades” (and, of course, “MEOW”), the story’s energetic, brightly colored panels close with a reveal of the next volume. (“I always hate it when comics end by announcing a sequel. SO CRINGE!” declares an authorial stand-in.) It can’t come too soon.
File under “laugh riot.” (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780063315280
Page Count: 272
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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