A thin tale with far richer backmatter.
A picture book based on Yukie Kimura’s experiences growing up in World War II–era Japan.
Yukie lives with her family on an island where her father is the lighthouse keeper. She and her brother have adventures around the island as they look for sea gull eggs; her sister prefers to read. One day, Yukie sees a giant ship with military personnel onboard. Up to that point, the war had felt far away. Suddenly, her world shifts as the military takes over the town, planes fly overhead, and bombs drop. Yukie notices that some children do not return to school after the war, but as the book closes, her adventures with her brother resume as they jump across ice floes that have floated south from Russia. References to her father’s flute playing and the hidden meanings behind his intonation imply there is much that Yukie doesn’t understand, though she perceives the underlying threats and tension. Disappointingly sparse text is paired with equally oblique illustrations. Kōdo Kimura’s stiff and impersonal style portrays flat landscapes and children with adult, even elderly faces. Repetitive, unoriginal perspectives lack dramatic emotion, creating distance between readers and the story. Older children can read the in-depth backmatter for historical context; younger readers will need guidance from well-informed grown-ups. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A thin tale with far richer backmatter. (notes from Sheinkin and Kōdo Kimura) (Picture-book memoir. 4-8)Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781250206503
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Lovely illustrations wasted on this misguided project.
The Celebrate the World series spotlights Lunar New Year.
This board book blends expository text and first-person-plural narrative, introducing readers to the holiday. Chau’s distinctive, finely textured watercolor paintings add depth, transitioning smoothly from a grand cityscape to the dining room table, from fantasies of the past to dumplings of the present. The text attempts to provide a broad look at the subject, including other names for the celebration, related cosmology, and historical background, as well as a more-personal discussion of traditions and practices. Yet it’s never clear who the narrator is—while the narrative indicates the existence of some consistent, monolithic group who participates in specific rituals of celebration (“Before the new year celebrations begin, we clean our homes—and ourselves!”), the illustrations depict different people in every image. Indeed, observances of Lunar New Year are as diverse as the people who celebrate it, which neither the text nor the images—all of the people appear to be Asian—fully acknowledges. Also unclear is the book’s intended audience. With large blocks of explication on every spread, it is entirely unappealing for the board-book set, and the format may make it equally unattractive to an older, more appropriate audience. Still, readers may appreciate seeing an important celebration warmly and vibrantly portrayed.
Lovely illustrations wasted on this misguided project. (Board book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3303-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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