An encouraging tale of self-acceptance, friendship…and unicorns.
In the latest in Hale and Pham’s popular series, a majestic unicorn nurtures big dreams.
Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn (2021) validated Kitty’s desire to be a unicorn and Unicorn’s longings to be a kitty; the book wrapped up with both of them declaring themselves kitty-corns. But Unicorn also sometimes wishes he were a mermaid (an “enchanting mermaid,” at that). Kitty can make that dream a reality. After spending hours with her craft supplies (like the ones she made her horn with), she creates two mermaid tails. One is purple and itty-bitty, and the other is unicorn-sized and green, and “Unicorn’s eyes get wobbly with tears.” Kitty has made his dream come true…but she’s not done yet. They must go to the beach to don their tails and really live it up. With Kitty’s pet fish and her pals Parakeet and Gecko in tow, they arrive…but the beach doesn’t measure up to Unicorn’s hopes. And he finally comes clean: He can’t swim. Not to worry! Resourceful Kitty has it under control! Unicorn’s a bit disappointed: Surely real mermaids don’t need floaties or goggles. Still, he feels enchanted, not because of his tail…but because he has a friend like Kitty. Though the story conveys the same ideas of “live your dreams” and “be your inner you” as in previous installments, it’s still pink and purple (and bubbly) fun. Pham uses white space effectively, while the friendship between the central characters shines through.
An encouraging tale of self-acceptance, friendship…and unicorns. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781419768774
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
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
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
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