The invitation to discover dance among such festive critters is still worth accepting. It could serve as an imaginative...
A curious young Latina and her friend learn three Latin dances as taught by a collection of step-savvy tropical animals.
Written by film and TV stars Sánchez and Winter with a lead character based on their daughter, Sebella, this picture book focuses on a child’s introduction to what’s rather generically referred to as “Latin dancing.” More specifically, Sebi and her friend Keeke (a pale-skinned child with a thatch of blond hair) learn the cha-cha, the samba, and the merengue from squirrels, monkeys, and cockatoos after stumbling upon a secret dance land after getting lost in some bushes at a park. Ortiz’s illustrations teem with rosy-cheeked figures (even the monkeys and the sun), curvy flora, and joyful movement, as each edge-to-edge image bursts with life. But the dances themselves, explained with detail in the text (“Bend one knee at a time. The more you bend, the more your hips swing”), never quite go beyond hip-swaying poses. Sebi and Keeke catch on, but it’s unlikely any kids will be able to follow the steps through pictures. Beyond the names of the dances, a half-hearted attempt at including Spanish phrases unnecessarily doublespeaks almost every bit of non-English, even such words as “Fantástico!” that perhaps didn’t need the clunky translation.
The invitation to discover dance among such festive critters is still worth accepting. It could serve as an imaginative introduction to new genres of music and movement. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-58363-6
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Celebra/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
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
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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