An always amusing story studded with important media literacy lessons.
Three siblings are sent to a curious island to spend the summer with their eccentric grandparents.
Three days before summer break, siblings Nia, D’Angelo, and Deja learn that their summer camp will be closed due to a local wildfire. Instead, they’ll be spending a few weeks with their grandparents in a small island town off the coast of Maine. Upon arrival, they discover a 77-story high-rise with a 100-foot antenna, nicknamed Babel’s Tower after the town’s founder, Barnaby Babel, who disappeared and hasn’t been seen for 30 years. Their grandparents, who live in a penthouse at the very top of the tower, seem a little off, regularly repeating tidbits of wisdom gleaned from local social media star Constance B. Some advice is sensible, but other guidance is a bit suspect, like the suggestion to “eat carrots to improve your night vision.” The grandparents spend most of their time on unprofitable side-hustles like building dollhouses that can fit inside other dollhouses and teaching the chickens on their rooftop how to dance. As the siblings explore the small town and their grandparents’ odd behavior more, they uncover different ways in which the townspeople have been fooled by online information. In these moments, the text turns to a direct address to the reader, asking if they have found a clue or solved a puzzle, along with hints from the three siblings. Chiger and Pereira use these occasional narrative interruptions to provide the definitions of useful media literacy terminology like credible sources, bias, and cherry picking. There are several references to Roald Dahl in the text, and the black-and-white illustrations by Louis Decrevel recall Quentin Blake’s. While the overarching mystery plot does take a while to kick in, the collection of outlandish characters, funny dialogue, and clever wordplay will keep young readers engaged. The overall message and mini-lessons embedded in the text, likewise, never feel shoehorned into the story.
An always amusing story studded with important media literacy lessons.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781959419181
Page Count: 248
Publisher: TeacherGoals Publishing, LLC
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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