Sweet and hopeful—and tinged with magic.
During the autumn equinox, a blue-haired young witch in training learns that not all change is bad.
While baking seasonal treats, Witchycakes business owner Mama Moon teaches her child, Blue (who uses they/them pronouns), the art of mise en place—or “having everything you need organized and ready before you start.” Later, while delivering baked goods around the seaside village of Shellville, Blue bemoans the end of summer, but their avian best friend and familiar, Gully, points out the lovely sensations of autumn: Mr. Cliff’s fragrant butternut squash ravioli, branches fluttering in the wind, and the foliage that graces the trees. Along the way, Blue uses magic to help a variety of other townspeople struggling with change: two siblings struggling with their weekend job at the Nautilus Inn, a young child upset about the prospect of becoming a big sister, and the agoraphobic owners of a successful online crafting company hoping to open a brick-and-mortar shop. As in the series opener, Moreira’s warm-toned illustrations depict a diverse and supportive community; Blue and Mama Moon are tan-skinned. LaReau has crafted a cozy, feel-good tale that evokes the comforting idea that anyone can cope with change as long as they have the resources to succeed. The concept of mise en place helps to drive home that theme, and the book concludes with a five-step plan for a “Magical Mise en Place.”
Sweet and hopeful—and tinged with magic. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798217025862
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
A close encounter of the best kind.
Left behind when the space bus departs, a child discovers that the moon isn’t as lifeless as it looks.
While the rest of the space-suited class follows the teacher like ducklings, one laggard carrying crayons and a sketchbook sits down to draw our home planet floating overhead, falls asleep, and wakes to see the bus zooming off. The bright yellow bus, the gaggle of playful field-trippers, and even the dull gray boulders strewn over the equally dull gray lunar surface have a rounded solidity suggestive of Plasticine models in Hare’s wordless but cinematic scenes…as do the rubbery, one-eyed, dull gray creatures (think: those stress-busting dolls with ears that pop out when squeezed) that emerge from the regolith. The mutual shock lasts but a moment before the lunarians eagerly grab the proffered crayons to brighten the bland gray setting with silly designs. The creatures dive into the dust when the bus swoops back down but pop up to exchange goodbye waves with the errant child, who turns out to be an olive-skinned kid with a mop of brown hair last seen drawing one of their new friends with the one crayon—gray, of course—left in the box. Body language is expressive enough in this debut outing to make a verbal narrative superfluous.
A close encounter of the best kind. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4253-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
An enigmatic, quirky representation of an active imagination in search of understanding and companionship.
A child finds connection to the world all around in this Korean import.
The illustrations in this unusual picture book achieve a 3-D effect reminiscent of claymation. The opening scene shows an aerial view of a playground scattered with maple and gingko leaves; a tethered dog watches a child aiming at marbles. Accustomed to spending time alone and solitary play, Tong Tong’s fertile imagination infuses a bag of assorted spherical hard candies with powers that give voice to unlikely speakers, such as the living room sofa and Marbles the old dog, each speaking with Tong Tong to share a sentient perspective. The hard candies also channel the tough love hidden within Tong Tong’s father and Grandma’s bubbly, reassuring voice emanating from another realm. The candies’ magic reveals yet another dimension when Tong Tong is drawn outdoors to witness nature’s beauty as copious falling leaves bid farewell to the season. Through these uncanny exchanges, Tong Tong not only makes surprising discoveries, but also delves into complex emotions, celebrates a continuing relationship with Grandma, and takes courageous steps toward a tantalizing conclusion. The enhanced artwork establishes depth and perspective, featuring details some may find initially unsettling—along with the cryptic, open-ended narrative. That said, depictions of facial expressions are skillful and endearing, and the interplay between text and illustrations will cause readers to linger and ponder.
An enigmatic, quirky representation of an active imagination in search of understanding and companionship. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2959-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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