Pure fantasy in the best sense.
When the post office announces that children can now be mailed, Dandan is excited to finally visit her father at the South Pole.
On huge, colorful spreads filled with surreal details and bold brush strokes, Dandan embarks on a dreamy journey by affixing winged stamps to her clothing and taking off on the back of a magical blue horse. The Chinese girl with a bowl haircut flies exuberantly over landscapes dotted with whimsical details (such as clothed animals doing jobs and a cage full of colorful birds several times larger than the houses) until she spots trouble. A whale has trapped a ship against an island! Fantastical sea creatures ogle the disaster from below. Discarding stamps like petals, Dandan descends to rescue the boat and its crew but then realizes she has no more stamps for flying. Of course, she finds a very creative solution, and the delightful sight of a little man in his green parka waving from an iceberg will not fail to bring a smile to any reader’s face. Gong’s artwork is a riot of colors and odd juxtapositions and compositions, a cross between Elisa Kleven’s and Maira Kalman’s work. Every page includes charming details scattered across dynamic and bold compositions, especially delightful when paired with Zhu’s absurd plot conveyed through expressive font sizes, shapes, and colors. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.4-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 60% of actual size.)
Pure fantasy in the best sense. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4788-6853-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Reycraft Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez,...
Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution?
The measured, evocative text describes how Mia’s español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela’s English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their “mouths [fill] with things to say.” The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, “with a sprinkling of digital magic.” They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously.
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6900-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
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