An edifying holiday primer wrapped in a humorous, good-natured romp.
In Richardson and Arnaldo’s jovial collaboration, a distraught girl must overcome her fears on Three Kings Day.
As her sprawling Latine family gathers to observe the holiday, little Marta eyes the delicious crown of sweet bread on the kitchen counter: la Rosca de Reyes, the tasty dessert eaten to celebrate Three Kings Day. Inside the baked ring, a “teeny, tiny” replica of baby Jesus is hidden to commemorate the Three Kings’ search for the Niño Dios. Marta always takes nibbles out of Mamá’s slices to ensure she doesn’t end up accidentally biting into baby Jesus. But this year, Abuela announces that Marta is old enough to eat her own slice of the rosca. Gasp! What if Marta gets the piece that conceals the baby Jesus and she eats the Niño Dios? Marta decides not to have a slice—but can she resist the rosca with its dazzling candied fruit? With dabs of mischief and wild-eyed child-friendly logic, this tale unfolds with amusing results. Brief overviews of the holiday provide just enough context for those unfamiliar with it. The artwork, meanwhile, serves up plenty of exaggerated faces and visual gags. Helpful author’s and illustrator’s notes broadly gesture toward the innumerable ways that different cultures and nations celebrate this religious feast. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An edifying holiday primer wrapped in a humorous, good-natured romp. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780316436298
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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