Magical and message-driven but slightly off the mark.
A fairy stops granting wishes that don’t align with her traditional values.
Light-skinned and pink-clad Rose has been granting wishes as “the pink fairy” for thousands of years—almost as long as she’s been alive. But when children start asking Rose for things that don’t conform to gender norms, Rose is perplexed. She won’t let “a pretty little girl” be a rugby player or “a handsome little boy” be a dancer. Instead, she just flies off with a “Goodness me!” leaving the children confused and upset. Their wishes go unfulfilled. Despite intervention from her fairy friends, Rose refuses to grant wishes, and her behavior becomes even odder as she begins to menacingly chase the kids. The children start to fear the pink fairy instead of looking forward to her visits. Surprising herself, Rose realizes that her true passion is scaring children and that she wants to be an ogre instead. She begs the fairy queen to make it so. This unique fairy tale—translated from Spanish—sparkles with its message that "hurt people hurt people." Some may be perturbed, however, that Rose is ultimately rewarded for her harmful actions rather than held accountable (though many of the kids seem to enjoy the scares). Nonetheless, Orecchia’s colorful, textured art creates a magical and inviting world. The children and fairy friends alike are racially diverse. Some have multicolored outfits, too—a nice visual representation of open-mindedness against Rose’s monochrome look.
Magical and message-driven but slightly off the mark. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 18, 2024
ISBN: 9788419607904
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
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
A sweet notion that falls flat.
A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.
Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622599
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
