Come for the sobbing baby. Stay for the psychedelic cacophony of accompanying chaos.
A familiar tale is upended in a show of magical realism…and flatulence.
In this Argentinian import, readers meet Elisa, a diapered baby sporting a bowl haircut. One evening she begins to cry, slowly at first, then gaining in strength. Her parents try different tactics to quiet her but are unsuccessful, so the neighbors, unable to sleep from the racket, try their own techniques. They attempt everything from donning animal masks to dancing around in fruit costumes, all to no avail. As in any tall tale, the author employs exaggerated language; little Elisa’s cries are described in increasingly impossible (and impossibly funny) ways. Her roars are so powerful that characters in storybooks cry, too. “Her cry [is] so fierce it wither[s] the flowers and scare[s] away the little birds.” Finally, the next morning, Grandma stops by and immediately bicycles Elisa’s legs slowly. What happens next is a fart so colossal that it lifts the entire apartment building off its foundations and into space. While the fart is over-the-top, its presence is almost dwarfed by the sheer energy, color, and vibrancy of the accompanying surreal illustrations. Both story and art reflect a passion for extremes, each equally ridiculous in their own ways. Elisa and her family are pink-hued, while the neighbors vary in skin tone.
Come for the sobbing baby. Stay for the psychedelic cacophony of accompanying chaos. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9798893389050
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Transit Children's Editions
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
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
Practical, if somewhat fluffy, bedtime guidance, hampered by muddled prose.
In actor Mendes’ debut picture book, an anxious young sleeper learns to overcome scary nighttime thoughts with help from Mami.
A cry shatters the peaceful night. “MAMI! There’s a monster under my bed!” Mami rushes to Desi’s room, where no monsters await. Instead, worries plague the young girl. Is Desi’s brain the real monster? Mami quells those fears. After all, the brain holds many jobs (“learning new things, solving problems”), but sometimes it brings unwanted thoughts, almost like a bully. With encouragement from her mom, Desi realizes that she’s the boss of her rogue mind. She can try to separate herself from pushy thoughts to feel calm; she can even blow negative thoughts away with the might of positive ones. It just takes a little patience. Brava! Perhaps bedtime isn’t so scary. Mendes tackles the delicate matter of nighttime woes—familiar to children and adults alike—with compassion, framing her tale as a discussion between mother and daughter. The often clunky text disrupts the otherwise serene tone. Still, though the advice is a bit pat, many readers will find it useful. Rich with purples, blues, and pinks among interludes of puffy white clouds, Bryant’s pitch-perfect artwork serves the text well; Desi’s anthropomorphic brain, clad in a nightcap, is an especially fun addition. Desi and Mami read Latine.
Practical, if somewhat fluffy, bedtime guidance, hampered by muddled prose. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9781250867438
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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