A sweet family story about building understanding across generations.
A hilarious mistranslation has a young girl fearing she’ll have to eat something unsavory.
Abuela recently moved from Cuba to live with Magaly and her mother and brother. Ever since her arrival, everyone seems happier, and their cozy apartment is always filled with wonderful aromas as Abuela prepares new and wonderful foods such as fricasé de pollo, picadillo, and arroz con leche, which quickly becomes Magaly's favorite. But when Abuela says that today she’ll be making ropa vieja, Magaly, who speaks some Spanish, is horrified. Old clothes?! Hastily, she begins hiding her favorite clothes, believing that if she doesn’t make them disappear, they’ll end up being served to her for dinner. That night, the family sits down to ropa vieja. It doesn’t taste bad, but Magaly’s still unable to finish her plate. Eventually, she learns that ropa vieja is shredded beef, so named because of its resemblance to a pile of old clothes. Everyone bursts out laughing, and Magaly’s confusion ends up bringing everyone even closer together. Spanish words are mixed in throughout. Vibrant illustrations brim with energy and movement as carrots, tomatoes, peas, and other foodstuffs careen across the pages. Both text and visuals convey sensory experiences such as smells and flavors and paint a portrait of a loving Cuban American immigrant family and their traditions.
A sweet family story about building understanding across generations. (information about other dishes with unusual names, facts about Cuba, glossary, author’s and illustrator’s notes, recipes) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9798888590683
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
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
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
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