A heartfelt celebration of sisterhood and culture, seen through the eyes of an enthusiastic younger sibling.
Ellie’s big sister, Isabella, is about to celebrate her quinceañera.
The milestone is a special event marking a girl’s 15th birthday and her transition into womanhood, observed in Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines. Although Isabella is 10 years older than Ellie, the two are best friends. Both sisters are excited about the quinceañera, but Isabella confides that she’s also nervous. As Isabella is whisked away to get ready for the celebration, Ellie is left behind, eager to help prepare for the party but struggling to find a job she can do at her age—flower arranging proves too difficult, and the cake is far too delicate for Ellie to help decorate. When the party begins, Ellie is awestruck by her sister’s elegance, although Isabella’s busy schedule keeps them apart. Unexpectedly, in a touching moment, Isabella publicly expresses her love for Ellie and invites her to share a special dance, making the evening unforgettable. This well-crafted narrative weaves together themes of sisterly love and the community’s role in celebrating a young person’s coming of age. The customs and traditions of the quinceañera shine in this warm family tale, and children who are much younger than their big siblings will relate to Ellie’s earnest desire to be included in the festivities. Dominated by pinks and reds, the illustrations are suffused with a soft glow. The family is Latine.
A heartfelt celebration of sisterhood and culture, seen through the eyes of an enthusiastic younger sibling. (information on quinceañeras) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781338894950
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones.
Hill and Bobbiesi send a humungous hug from grandmothers to their granddaughters everywhere.
Delicate cartoon art adds details to the rhyming text showing multigenerational commonalities. “You and I are alike in such wonderful ways. / You will see more and more as you grow” (as grandmother and granddaughter enjoy the backyard together); “I wobbled uncertainly just as you did / whenever I tried something new” (as a toddler takes first steps); “And if a bad dream woke me up in the night, / I snuggled up with my lovey too” (grandmother kisses granddaughter, who clutches a plush narwhal). Grandmother-granddaughter pairs share everyday joys like eating ice cream, dancing “in the rain,” and making “up silly games.” Although some activities skew stereotypically feminine (baking, yoga), a grandmother helps with a quintessential volcano experiment (this pair presents black, adding valuable STEM representation), another cheers on a young wheelchair athlete (both present Asian), and a third, wearing a hijab, accompanies her brown-skinned granddaughter on a peace march, as it is “important to speak out for what you believe.” The message of unconditional love is clear throughout: “When you need me, I’ll be there to listen and care. / There is nothing that keeps us apart.” The finished book will include “stationery…for a special letter from Grandma to you!”
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0623-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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