A must for nature enthusiasts big and small, this one will inspire families to get outdoors together.
A boy and his father bond over a love of nature.
Tim, a little Black boy with skinny legs, dark brown skin, and a big Afro, and his dad, a bald, Black man with a massive black beard, fit together “like bacon and eggs.” Tim loves exploring the outdoors, just as his father did in his youth. After observing and collecting data one day, Tim wants to show Dad his findings, but Dad has work to do. After waiting patiently, Tim finally goes to the attic to peruse the scrapbooks and journals his dad made during his youthful adventures. While looking through them, Tim falls asleep and dreams of camping in the desert, snorkeling in the ocean, and hiking a snowy alpine trail with Dad. On awakening, Tim makes drawings of his dreams. When Dad finds Tim, he resolves to make more memories for the scrapbook with Tim. This story emphasizes that setting aside family time outdoors can result in a lifetime of memories. Allen’s (and Tim’s) brightly colored illustrations, with an abundance of green, including the duo’s matching olive-green scoutlike outfits, capture the boy’s passion for exploring and the closeness he and his father share when outside. The use of white space early in the book represents the confinement of work, but when Tim embarks on his dream journey, the full-color, imaginative double-page spreads convey Tim’s immersion in these natural habitats. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A must for nature enthusiasts big and small, this one will inspire families to get outdoors together. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780593524930
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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