Review by New York Times Review
MANY PRACTITIONERS AND PUNDITS caution sternly against didacticism in books for children, a stance I find puzzling. Why write for young readers if you don't feel you have something of value to convey to them? Its true, however, that the stories children cherish most elevate story and character over preaching. Four new books address topics relevant to our current age of anxiety: bullying, the constant stream of bad news from the media, the need for kindness and acceptance. These books attempt to avoid the preachiness pitfall by relying on images. The title and jacket art for "Julian Is a Mermaid" prefigure a seemingly predictable story about identity and acceptance. But along the way, surprises and delights exemplify the unexpected inevitability of the best storytelling. In the introductory spread, Julian, who seems about 6, is swimming with several abuelas all wearing bathing caps and fond, watchful gazes. Then we see Julian and his abuela on the subway, where the other passengers include three splendid mermaids. Are they figments of Julian's imagination? The text gives no hint: "This is a boy named Julian," we read. "And this is his abuela. And those are some mermaids." On closer examination the mermaids have feet, and wear sandals. Three wordless spreads follow, in which Julian imagines frolicking in the ocean with dreamlike sea creatures. Once home, Julian uses household items (a curtain, ferns from a planter) to garb himself as a mermaid. When his abuela catches him, she turns her back, only to return with a gift. This is Jessica Love's debut picture book, and every choice she makes - the spare text, a color palette both muted and lively, full-bleed pages that make even subway cars and apartment rooms feel as expansive as the ocean - imbues the story with charm, tenderness and humor. In the joyous conclusion, the pair make their way to a mermaid parade (an annual event at Coney Island in Brooklyn) and join the spectacle. The final illustration shows the abuelas from the first spread, transformed into mermaids. Alongside Julian, readers learn that anyone can be a mermaid: All it takes is love and acceptance, a little imagination and a big swishy tail. "I Walk With Vanessa," by the husbandand-wife team Kerascoet ("Malala's Magic Pencil"), is not merely sparse in its text, it's wordless. On the title page, we see Vanessa and her family moving in to their new home. Then spreads set at school show her new-kid anxiety and loneliness, which take an ugly turn when she is bullied. A girl who witnesses the bullying (the "I" of the book's title) decides to walk Vanessa to school the next day. They are joined by a few friends, then more, and eventually a whole crowd, until it is the bully who is left out. Young readers will enjoy searching for the bully, whose red-andwhite striped shirt is surely a wink at Martin Handford's Waldo. Brown-skinned Vanessa, her tan friend and the white bully are all big-headed moppets drawn with loose lines and plenty of personality. The abundance of white space and use of color keeps the focus on the characters; it also sets up a stunning nighttime spread of the girls depicted through their respective bedroom windows. I immediately thought of Maya Angelou's words that "we are all more alike ... than we are unalike" - a stirring example of how an image can both reflect and extend the individual reader's experience. The book has a subtitle ("A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness"), as well as two sections of back matter about bullying, directed at young readers and their adults. That makes it seem as though the visuals alone weren't trusted to carry the mesBOTH "THE BREAKING NEWS" and "Be Kind" lean more heavily on words. In "The Breaking News," Sarah Lynne Reul's timely text begins with a young girl's reminiscence: "I remember when we heard the bad news." Next we see dark-skinned Mom and Dad staring in alarm at the words "breaking news" on the television. The news is unspecified. The girl looks worriedly at her parents, capturing the story's essence with efficiency and poignancy. The girl's emotions are sensitively portrayed throughout. At first enthusiastic about trying to make those around her feel better, she grows discouraged when her attempts fail. "Maybe there is nothing I can do to help in a big way. I feel small." There are mildly jarring bumps in the text: an abrupt switch from recollection to present tense, and a confusing line that appears to be from the girl's consciousness when it should rightly be attributed to her teacher. By contrast, the heavily outlined images are steady and solid, including the closing spreads of the girl and her family planting flowers, which circle back to a scene at the beginning, affirming the resilience that can result when small acts are focused on community. The wordiest of the four books also skirts closest to the didactic edge. "Be Kind" begins when curly-headed Tanisha becomes an obj ect of derision after spilling her grape juice at school. The narrator, a dark-haired child with pale skin, flounders in an effort to comfort her, then wonders, "What does it mean to be kind anyway?" The narrator imagines possibilities, from baking cookies for a lonely neighbor to "telling Desmond I like his blue boots," then muses: "Sticking up for someone when other kids aren't kind is really hard. (And really scary.)" Tanisha and Kerascoet's Vanessa are both depicted as dark-complected, with lighter-skinned children befriending them. White-savior narratives? Or examples of the dominant culture taking responsibility for dismantling racism? The distinction is one ripe for discussion. "Be Kind" concludes with the child's hope that a small act of kindness toward Tanisha might "spill out of our school" and expand to encircle the world. The vignettes portraying "the world" include references to familiar architecture (pyramids, the Taj Mahal, pagodas), presumably to assist in identifying location; also, alas, with the potential to reinforce stereotypes. Even so, the combination of Pat Zietlow Miller's earnest text and Jen Hill's attractive images is likely to find a receptive audience among adults wanting to spark a conversation with children. These days, it seems more important than ever for books to show young people how to act with thoughtfulness, civility and kindness - growing up as they are amid powerful adults who consistently fail to do so. ? LINDA SUE PARK, a Newbety Medalist, is the author, most recently, of "Beast of Stone," the final installment of the Wing & Claw fantasy trilogy.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [March 25, 2018]
Review by Booklist Review
In this wordless story, a dark-skinned girl (Vanessa) arrives in class and is shown a seat. She spends most of her day alone, but after school, a blond boy approaches, yelling and provoking tears. Another girl observes this interaction and becomes upset. The next morning, she stops at Vanessa's house to accompany her to school. As they walk along, other children join them, and everyone arrives at school as a cohesive group, minus the now isolated bully. French duo Marie Pommepuy and Sébastien Cosset (Paul and Antoinette, 2016), aka Kerascoët, here share a story that demonstrates how simple acts of kindness can turn a bullying situation around. The ink-and-watercolor artwork uses full color for the children (focusing on their expressive faces), and often mutes (or omits) the backgrounds. Comics conventions are used to good effect, and the final spreads feature the large, ethnically diverse cast of children. Appended with notes about bullying, this will be a welcome addition to the choose-kindness shelf.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this powerful wordless tale by the French duo Kerascoët (Paul and Antoinette), a child reaches out to a fellow pupil who has been bullied. Vanessa isn't the only child of color in her school, but she is new; the teacher introduces her, and she sits by herself. On the way home, she's accosted by a boy with yellow hair, cries, and runs back to her house. Another girl sees what has happened, and, in an important series of vignettes, the artists make it clear how much the incident upsets her-one nighttime spread shows both girls awake and despondent in their bedrooms. In the morning, the girl invites Vanessa to walk to school with her, and they are soon joined by other children. It's not a story about bullying per se-although Vanessa's pain is evident, her emotions are not its focus. Instead, it looks at stepping up and being an ally. The wordless pages and small, toylike figures make this a good choice for young children who can work out for themselves what has happened, what Vanessa's new friend does, and why it works. Ages 4-8. Agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-A picture book without words, but with images that speak volumes. This story, inspired by true events, follows Vanessa along her journey as the new kid in school. Like most new students, she feels nervous and even unwelcome at first, and she is treated unkindly on her walk home. Another child notices the bullying and decides to befriend Vanessa the very next day. What happens next is unexpected and quite beautiful as the whole school comes together to stand by Vanessa and show how a small act of kindness can unite an entire community. Created by a husband-and-wife team of illustrators who are known for their work on the critically acclaimed graphic novel Beautiful Darkness and most recently the picture book Malala's Magic Pencil, Kerascoët's latest book is powerful in its simplicity. The illustrations explore the various feelings of hurt, powerlessness, and anger that arise when being bullied or witnessing bullying, and the many positive feelings that accompany acts of acceptance and inclusion. A special afterword with advice for children and adults on how to help those who may be bullied or hurt is appended. The message is powerful: one small act can make a difference and change the world. VERDICT A simple, beautiful story with an empowering lesson and call to action. Recommended for every library.-Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this wordless story, brown-skinned newcomer Vanessa is bullied by a white boy as she walks home alone from school. A girl classmate witnesses the abuse; the next morning she walks to school with Vanessa and they're joined by more supporters. Watercolor and ink illustrations excel at communicating emotions; a mix of vignettes and full-page illustrations expertly controls the pacing. Bullying-related resources are appended. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this wordless book, new girl Vanessa, shy and withdrawn, becomes a bully's target after school and finally runs home in tears.Another little girl sees it happen and is concerned enough to tell all of her friends, who also become concerned and wander home, sad for Vanessa. The observant girl stays up late, worrying, and the next morning, has the idea to go to Vanessa's house and offer to walk her to school, which she does. They're joined by one more kid, then another, and another, until a smiling throng accompanies Vanessa to school, with the bully skulking away. (Adult readers may recall a similar real-life scenario that took place at Baylor University in 2016, when a black student was racially bullied and then 300 students walked her to class.) In this book, Vanessa is black, and the protagonist has light brown skin and straight black hair. The bully is white, and the rest of the students are different ethnicities and races. Kerascot's sweet, charming illustrations do the talking in this bookno words appear, and none are needed. Each page is lovingly and respectfully drawn using a lot of white space, spare application of bright watercolor, and thick ink linework kept simple but loaded with impact and emotion. Tips for children on helping a target of bullying and language for adults to use when talking about bullying with children follow the story.A wonderfully illustrated, hopeful book that can help caregivers tackle an emotionally fraught subject with even very young children. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
