A creative tale about the importance of kindness.
Neighbors learn to accept one another’s differences in this picture book.
In “the Land of Numerals,” Black Family 13 is considered “odd and unlucky.” The daughter, Little 13, struggles socially. She overhears schoolmates call her “bad luck.” Despite Dad 13’s encouragement, she feels dejected. One day, she observes her neighbors White Family 11 drive off and notices Baby 11’s blanket fly out the window. Heeding her dad’s reminder that “kindness counts,” Little 13 retrieves the blanket, wraps it, and attaches a note. When White “Grumpy Grandma 12” across the street sees Little 13 drop off the package, she calls “Police 911,” questioning, “Why is bad luck coming from House 11?” The police arrive and Family 11 returns. Little 13 anxiously watches the commotion. When Teen 11 reads Little 13’s note, he implores his mother to thank the youngster. Though hesitant to interact with her “unlucky” neighbors, Mom 11 realizes Family 13 is warm and kind. After she thanks Little 13, she and Mom 13 discover “they had so much in common and so much to share.” The moms recognize “no two numbers are the same, they are each special.” The use of numbers as a way to represent traits and differences between people is clever. Fakki deftly demonstrates the importance of respecting others, refuting stereotypes and assumptions, and treating individuals with compassion. Marreiro’s whimsical illustrations feature bright hues and cartoonlike characters with black dot eyes. Number-adorned wallpaper, clothing, and buildings appear throughout.
A creative tale about the importance of kindness.Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73390-496-4
Page Count: 41
Publisher: Hightree Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground.
A little red sleigh has big Christmas dreams.
Although the detailed, full-color art doesn’t anthropomorphize the protagonist (which readers will likely identify as a sled and not a sleigh), a close third-person text affords the object thoughts and feelings while assigning feminine pronouns. “She longed to become Santa’s big red sleigh,” reads an early line establishing the sleigh’s motivation to leave her Christmas-shop home for the North Pole. Other toys discourage her, but she perseveres despite creeping self-doubt. A train and truck help the sleigh along, and when she wishes she were big, fast, and powerful like them, they offer encouragement and counsel patience. When a storm descends after the sleigh strikes out on her own, an unnamed girl playing in the snow brings her to a group of children who all take turns riding the sleigh down a hill. When the girl brings her home, the sleigh is crestfallen she didn’t reach the North Pole. A convoluted happily-ever-after ending shows a note from Santa that thanks the sleigh for giving children joy and invites her to the North Pole next year. “At last she understood what she was meant to do. She would build her life up spreading joy, one child at a time.” Will she leave the girl’s house to be gifted to other children? Will she stay and somehow also reach ever more children? Readers will be left wondering. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 31.8% of actual size.)
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72822-355-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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