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I AM MINE ALONE

Name: I AM MINE ALONE
Author: Raquel Díaz Reguera
ISBN: 9788419253590

From the Égalité series

by Raquel Díaz Reguera ; illustrated by Raquel Díaz Reguera ; translated by Cecilia Ross ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2023

The courageous heroine and titular mantra will resonate with those who recognize the dynamic.

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In this tale translated from Spanish, a mouse endures an abusive relationship—until she doesn’t.

Mousy was happy to move in with Buck. Now, the stylish creature has mournful eyes. The male rodent is belligerent and controlling, proffering presents, like a nightgown, that cater to his preferences, not hers. Buck contextualizes his behavior as love, wanting her to say that she is his and his alone. The passage of time is periodically noted with “The days went by” followed by increasingly disturbing descriptions. Strong colors and patterns comprise the sophisticated scenes, and shadows reveal emotions. In a particularly poignant scene, Mousy’s shadow cries, and a real puddle forms at the base of the wallpaper. Her fear escalates as Buck grows bigger, his eyes more menacing; she thinks she hears him meow. In a climactic confrontation, he asks what she did to obtain a promotion at work, and as he tries to snatch her, she flees. Murmuring, “I am mine and mine alone,” Mousy ponders what real love is as she walks toward a new life and friends: Their collective outline forms the shadow of a dog. Adult characters and innuendos raise the question of intended audience. The pictures are both essential to the story’s impact and a potential barrier to an older readership, but many older children, teens, and even some adults who have encountered similar situations will find it an affirming balm. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

The courageous heroine and titular mantra will resonate with those who recognize the dynamic. (Picture book. 10-14)

Pub Date: April 25, 2023

ISBN: 9788419253590

Page Count: 40

Publisher: NubeOcho

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PERFECT ANIMAL
by Raquel Díaz Reguera ; illustrated by Raquel Díaz Reguera ; translated by Ben Dawlatly

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SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS

by Jack Cheng ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 2017

Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.

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If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?

For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.

Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MANY MASKS OF ANDY ZHOU
by Jack Cheng ; illustrated by Jack Cheng

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THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

From the School for Good and Evil series , Vol. 1

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.

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Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.

Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)