A visually symphonic, supremely moving experience.
In this picture book inspired by a traditional Ojibwe tale, an Indigenous youth searches far and wide for a powerful stone.
A young person with tan skin, chin-length black hair, and a fearful gaze awakens from a nightmare, intricately visualized as a shadowy mirror image and a mysterious face in the moon. The protagonist heads to an Indigenous community center to seek an elder’s counsel. “Ami mikaw makade asin,” says the elder. “Go and find the black stone.” A series of surreal, stunning scenes depict a far-ranging quest: The child tumbles through a ferny forest, has a tense encounter with a jaguar, gets swept into a massive, magnificent ocean storm, and confronts a rattlesnake in an arid desert. Irish-settler and Ojibwe illustrator McKibbin, who has roots in the White Earth Nation and family diaspora from Zacatecas in Mexico, provides intensely vivid full-page spreads that swirl and pulse with action and dynamic movement, making clear the unassailable power of nature’s majesty. Whitecrow (Ojibwe/Dakota) and Judy’s text intuitively encourages the quester. The words echo like an invocation spoken by the elder or perhaps thoughts from the depths of the young person’s own consciousness. “When you are full of fear…how do you stop being afraid?” “Face your fears, and let them guide you.” Notably, Anishinaabemowin precedes English in the dual-language text, with translation provided by Waskonegabowiik (Anishinaabe), emphasizing an intentionally Indigenous approach to confronting the mysteries of both the world and one’s inner self.
A visually symphonic, supremely moving experience. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
ISBN: 9781779460158
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
