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ROSIE RUNS

Name: ROSIE RUNS
Author: Marika Maijala
ISBN: 9781953861603

by Marika Maijala ; illustrated by Marika Maijala ; translated by Mia Spangenberg ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 15, 2023

A touching, optimistic, and charmingly rendered story of hope and resilience.

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A greyhound abandons her pursuit of mechanical hares in favor of chasing her dreams in this translated Finnish import by award-winning author and artist Maijala.

Rosie runs, but she never gets anywhere. After racing other dogs at the track, the exhausted white greyhound is shut in a cage, where she dreams of “forests, fields, and real hares.” Winning brings no satisfaction, so one day, Rosie keeps running—past the astonished crowd, beyond the racetrack, through a forest and a city, until, at last, she reaches a park. There, two friendly dogs invite Rosie, still wearing her red racing suit, to play—and, suddenly, a new world opens up to a dog whose life was bound by the bars of a kennel and the narrow confines of a racing track. The whimsical, abstract art, executed in broad, playful, childlike strokes of oil pastel and crayon, add to the story’s sense of innocent adventure and discovery. The absence of black outlines in the joyful and expressive illustrations lends a sense of fluidity in keeping with the storyline. The large trim size begs readers to notice small details about the people (who are diverse in skin tone and hair color) and bustling background scenes. Spangenberg’s translation reads smoothly, capturing the poignancy of Rosie’s tale and the juxtaposition between her urgent flight to freedom and the ordinary lives unfolding around her.

A touching, optimistic, and charmingly rendered story of hope and resilience. (author’s note, translator’s note) (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023

ISBN: 9781953861603

Page Count: 56

Publisher: Elsewhere Editions

Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
WHERE'S YOUR CREATIVITY?
by Aaron Rosenberg & Riley Watts ; illustrated by Marika Maijala

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PIANO
by Juha Virta & Marika Maijala ; illustrated by Marika Maijala

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)