Marvelous fun: Who wouldn’t want a friend like this?
Mabel’s comrade in imaginative exploits is no stranger to daring deeds.
As Mabel strongly suspected when she first met the titular character in Madame Badobedah (2020), the “longest, oldest, best-ever guest” of the Mermaid Hotel really does have “jewel thief” on her resume of wild occupations. Mabel, a self-proclaimed adventurer, adores the glamorous and slightly rascally old lady. When Madame Badobedah invites her to open one of the many drawers in her “dressing table of dreams,” two stories emerge. Taking an enormous tooth out of a drawer, Madame Badobedah explains that she pulled it from the jaw of a triceratops in pain. Meanwhile, the green glow from another drawer seems quite suspicious, and Madame B says they’ll have to return the mysterious object tonight. The pair venture through Madame Badobedah’s Mermaid Closet that evening and arrive at the Natural History Museum, where the bones of an iguanodon, a T. rex, and a triceratops—all Madame Badobedah’s old friends—come to life for Mabel. Finally, Madame B returns the mystery item—an emerald that she spontaneously pocketed years ago while giving a lecture. Madame Badobedah is a wonderfully appealing character who proves that you’re never too old for an adventure, while precocious, earnest Mabel has a pitch-perfect narratorial voice. O’Hara’s bright watercolors are whimsical and just a little retro. Characters present white.
Marvelous fun: Who wouldn’t want a friend like this? (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781536233568
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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