Review by Booklist Review
Shinbi the ghost is happy making tiny bouquets, but she's still lonely as she wanders the sky, contemplating the constellations. Her wish upon a falling star is granted when a friendly greeting appears on her rocky perch--and so begins a cheerful correspondence between this night-dwelling ghost and the rock's cast shadow, who appears only when the sun hits the meadow. Shinbi and Greem share gifts, games, and a fascination for constellations, but, separated by night and day, the friends still yearn to meet face to face. Greem's craft in conjuring the magic of a shooting star miraculously yields a riot of brilliantly colored stars that streams across the night sky, illuminating both shadow and ghost. The friends revel in being revealed to each other, a special moment to savor until the next time their beloved stars come out on parade. In this unique fable linking two worlds, their wonders aglow in rich color washes, author-illustrator Min uses inventive compositions and striking contrasts to illuminate this friendship defined--but not confined--by night and day.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A friendship that transcends barriers of embodiment and time anchors this starry creation by Min (The Little Toymaker). Shinbi is a night-roaming ghost who eschews haunting to watch constellations from her favorite rock. Greem, the rock's velvety shadow, makes himself known to Shinbi after the ghost uses a shooting star to wish for a friend. He is only visible during the day, so the two can't meet, but their exchanged notes of greeting lead to intense mutual curiosity about each other. They craft and share images of their similarly shaped selves, Shinbi tells Greem about the night sky, and the two invent constellations from pebbles they toss into grass. Brilliantly graduated panels of day to night capture moments of transformation and seasonal variation, conveying the beautiful but frustrating reality that keeps Shinbi and Greem apart--until Greem makes a wish of his own. It's a work of breathless connection that interweaves yearning for companionship with yearning to know the natural world. Ages 4--8. Agent: Maria Vicente, P.S. Literary Agency. (Apr.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Shinbi is a ghost who doesn't care for haunting houses. She prefers sitting on her favorite rock and stargazing. When a shooting star flies through the sky, she wishes for a friend. One day, she sees a "Hi" on her favorite rock and leaves a response. Its recipient is Greem, the shadow formed by the same rock during the daylight hours, who also longs for a friend. The two leave messages for each other, primarily about constellations, something Greem has never seen. Greem thinks the Big Dipper looks more like a whale, and Shinbi says Cancer looks less like a crab and more like a child doing a handstand. When a "star parade" adorns the night sky, it provides enough light for them to finally meet, "pouring their hearts out to each other" for one glorious night. Min's depiction of Shinbi is the sort of ghost that won't frighten children: she's composed of rounded lines and rosy cheeks. Greem is shaped precisely the same but filled with the dark colors of night. Most of the richly colored spreads are full bleed; the occasional use of borders accelerates the action. The sky filled with shooting stars is particularly dazzling with its sparkling, warm colors against the darkness. Julie DanielsonMay/June 2024 p.124 (c) Copyright 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
A lonely ghost and shadow look to the stars to find a true connection. Nocturnal Shinbi, a smudgy white ghost with pink circles for cheeks, is tired of haunting houses and wants to explore the natural world. She settles by a nearby rock. After spotting a shooting star, she makes "a wish for a friend" and leaves a note on the rock, then disappears. Greem, a lonely, pink-cheeked dark shadow cast by Shinbi's rock, emerges the next morning, wishing for "someone to talk to." Spotting Shinbi's message, he leaves her a note on a leaf, which she finds that night. A pen pal--like relationship emerges as they draw pictures of themselves and, in a shared creative activity, use pebbles to come up with their own constellations (identified in the text alongside actual star systems, rendered in a different font). When Greem throws a pebble into the sky and makes a wish of his own, a series of shooting stars appear, and the two finally meet, in a burst of golden-speckled sparks that merges into a collective palette of both light and dark. Min's watercolor, colored pencil, and digital illustrations capture not only the night sky but also the exuberant emotions of the protagonists. The passage of time is conveyed through successive panels in double-page spreads that highlight the wondrous blue, pink, and purple hues of the sky. A joyful celebration of friendship, the stars, and finding one's self in this world and beyond. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
