Although not the princess corrective some parents may wish for, the book's little lesson is one worth sharing: what's in the...
A fantasy world of perfect princesses gives a young girl a respite from a bad mood.
Romy is having a blah, listless day, the kind when "Romy didn't even want to be Romy." She yearns for a place called Princessland and sets off to find it with help from the Lady Cat. But the Lady Cat's plan is a little oblique. The feline leads Romy through town, from a bakery to the city square to a park, asking her to describe the finer details of Princessland while promising to take her there. "In Princessland…there are balls every night in enormous, airy rooms lined with marble tiles," Romy rhapsodizes as she and the cat listen to a musician at the market and she imagines a ball. By the end of the day, though Romy has described the destination in detail, she's sad to realize the cat hasn't actually taken her there. But of course, the Lady Cat has done just that, pushing Lola to travel by imagination. Expressive paintings blend the Princessland in Romy's head with city scenes as she and Lady Cat explore. Romy is a dark-skinned little girl with long brown hair and blue eyes, and the princesses are racially diverse if otherwise stereotypically froufrou.
Although not the princess corrective some parents may wish for, the book's little lesson is one worth sharing: what's in the mind’s eye is often more lavish and sweet than the real thing could possibly be. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-374-36115-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
This humorous, lively dog’s-eye view provides gentle instruction for interacting with pets.
In Weaver’s charming picture book, a dog reassesses his not-so-glowing review of little kids.
“Families are OVERRATED!” as far as the bluish-gray hound named Dog is concerned. While he approves of the adults in the household, the four small children are for the birds. In an attempt to resolve his conflicted feelings, Dog pours his heart out to a therapist scribbling on a notepad. Dog lists his grievances via couplet rhymes: “And many times I’ve found their dirty toys INSIDE MY BOWL! / It’s obvious these little humans have no SELF-CONTROL!” With key words highlighted in colorful and bolded fonts for more emphasis, his voice now has added urgency. Soylu’s lively drawings in muted tones are wondrously effective in animating Dog; his hanging jowls, big eyes, and floppy ears all convey believably beleaguered expressions. Lifelike details enhance the dramatic effect of the children’s boisterous antics. At the end, Weaver provides a list of do’s and don’ts for interacting with pets. Dog lovers can identify the dog breed silhouettes on the endpapers. Kids will get a kick out of Dog’s opinion of humans and perhaps recognize some behaviors to reconsider.
This humorous, lively dog’s-eye view provides gentle instruction for interacting with pets.Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781736267370
Page Count: 40
Publisher: A Little Offbeat Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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