Sweet, if somewhat bland, reflections on love.
In this collaboration from CNN Today anchor Harlow, Saturday TODAY anchor Jarrett, and illustrator Chavarri, a young girl and her class consider what love means to them.
After Ms. Clementine asks the class what images the word love conjures up, the room erupts with answers. Classmates describe special capes, baby siblings, and stuffed animals, while Grace feels overwhelmed as she considers the many things she loves. Then Ms. Clementine gives the class their assignment for the next day: “If love were a color, what color would it be?” Grace thinks hard on her walk home, struggling to pick only a single color, but when she discovers that her older brother, Dante, is home from college and making his famous gumbo for dinner, Grace knows exactly what color love is for her. While Harlow and Jarrett offer sweet prose and a cheerful look at the multifaceted ways love can manifest and the many meanings it can take on, the text nonetheless falls a little flat, with a narrative that veers away from calm and uncomplicated into facile territory. Still, Chavarri’s illustrations bring to life what could be stagnant scenes; the art’s charm, vibrancy, and easy whirls of movement sweep readers along to the (quite literally) heartful final spread. Grace and her brother are Black, and a multiracial ensemble of secondary characters makes up Grace’s classroom.
Sweet, if somewhat bland, reflections on love. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 14, 2024
ISBN: 9780593527108
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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