A lyrical, playful book about immigration, respect, learning, and friendship across cultures.
When Saida, an immigrant, arrives in her new school, she doesn’t say any words because she doesn’t speak the language, in this Spanish import.
Determined to be Saida’s friend, the narrator, a classmate, searches for the new girl’s lost words everywhere: in the park, “inside the pockets of all the coats,” and between the curtains. She draws her a welcome sign, and the newcomer draws a smile back. The narrator’s parents tell her that Saida comes from Morocco, a land of bazaars and colorful tiles, where people speak Arabic and where their family’s language “wouldn’t work either.” The girls embark on a mutual learning journey, of words, letters, and sounds. The dreamy, sometimes larger-than-life illustrations portray their creative and playful explorations. Arabic and English words and letters they’re learning fly around on laundry, in the wind, and through strands of hair, accompanied by helpful English transliterations of Arabic texts. Remarkably, the exchange between the two new friends presents the two languages and cultures as equal and the learning as reciprocal, offering a great resource for learning about immigration and cultural difference. Standard Arabic is used for the words presented rather than the Moroccan spoken dialect, which is probably not what a real-life Saida would have consistently employed to teach her new friend. However, it is the more helpful version for Arabic language learners. Saida has brown skin and long, wispy dark hair; the narrator has pale skin and a red pageboy.
A lyrical, playful book about immigration, respect, learning, and friendship across cultures. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73312-125-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
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