After losing his hearing, a piano man finds new musical life. Lee plays piano with a combo at a jazz club. One night, his bandmates notice that he’s not hearing their notes; he’s afraid to admit that he’s losing his hearing. Eventually, the combo has to let him go. On the subway, Lee spots an ad for a school for the deaf. It’s a very cool place, and he finds he loves sign language. He and his new friends from the school have jam sessions, using sign language instead of instruments. They practice regularly; when they add a singer named Ellie, they’ve got a hot new combo that entertains commuters in the subway station. Lee’s happy again, as a deaf musician. Seeger and Jacobs’ hep narrative is studded with phonic gems (“Bomp,” “Phip,” “Doodle-bop-bop”), and Christie’s colorful paintings have a strong 1950s feel. An unusual story, both stylish and uplifting. (author note) (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-399-24316-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2006
Categories: CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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A girl named Pearl programs a (rust-proof) robot to help her build sand castles in this new addition to the Girls Who Code organization’s book program.
The last day of summer vacation is Pearl’s last chance to build a sand castle. All her prior attempts have fallen victim to comic mishaps (such as a “moat” contributed by dog Ada Puglace). For backup, she brings her robot, Pascal, with whom she breaks down the full task—building the sand castle—into small problems: finding a place to build via specific instructions, gathering sand via a sequence (and more efficiently with a loop), and decorating the castle via an IF-THEN-ELSE statement. After she works out the kinks, the oncoming tide throws Pearl for a new loop—literally, as she reuses her previous computer code while adding a moat feature to handle the tide. The cheerful mixed-media illustrations and warm color palette fit both the subject matter and the can-do spirit of the book. The computer science terms are demonstrated in clear, concise ways, allowing them to be mined for humor (such as Pascal’s attempts to place the sand castle in unsuitable places until Pearl learns to be very specific), and serve the story without feeling obtrusive or too much like lessons. The backmatter gives fuller explanations of the terms. Pearl has brown skin and textured, black pigtails, and the other beachgoers are racially diverse.
An accessible introduction to coding rules that also easily entertains. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-425-29198-6
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Grace loves to act out her favorite stories, taking every part from Joan of Arc to Mowgli. But when her class learns that they will be doing Peter Pan, the other kids tell Grace she can't have the lead: Peter's neither black nor a girl. Fortunately, Nana and Ma have contagious confidence in Grace's ability, and at the tryouts the class also agrees that Grace is best. It's easy to catch the wholesomely assertive spirit here—as Binch does, in this excellent debut, with her detailed, realistic watercolors; vibrant Grace almost springs from the page. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-8037-1040-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1991
Categories: CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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