Vol. Lxxxvii, No. 1 | 1 January 2019 Reviews - DocsLib

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Featuring 392 Industry-First Reviews of Fiction, Nonfiction, Children'sand YA books

KIRKUSVOL. LXXXVII, NO. 1 | 1 JANUARY 2019 REVIEWS

Lili Anolik is the unofficial champion of Eve Babitz’s literary canon and a crucial element of Babitz’s resurgence. Her nonfiction debut, Hollywood’s Eve, doesn’t fit the mold of a biography—it’s a bona fide love story. p. 60 from the editor’s desk:

Chairman Trends We Hope Disappear in 2019 HERBERT SIMON

President & Publisher BY CLAIBORNE SMITH MARC WINKELMAN #

Chief Executive Officer MEG LABORDE KUEHN [email protected] Photo courtesy Michael Thad Carter Editor-in-Chief All of us at Kirkus are looking forward to the great books that are com- CLAIBORNE SMITH ing our way in 2019; check out our editors’ columns in each section of [email protected] this issue to learn which particular books they’re most excited about. But Vice President of Marketing SARAH KALINA before you do that, let’s say goodbye to 2018 by noting a few publishing [email protected]

trends we hope disappear in 2019. (We know they won’t actually disappear Managing/Nonfiction Editor ERIC LIEBETRAU this year, but hope springs eternal.) Happy New Year! [email protected]

Fiction Editor Laura Simeon, Young Adult Editor: I’d like to see tan people go away. I’m LAURIE MUCHNICK all for the kind of diversity where a character’s race is not the entire focus [email protected] Children’s Editor of their lives, not a problem that they grapple with, and not an indirect VICKY SMITH way of showing what a great, tolerant person the white main character is. [email protected] I’m fine with ambiguity—as a biracial person, I appreciate the way racial Young Adult Editor Claiborne Smith LAURA SIMEON ambiguity forces us to confront our discomfort around blurred boundaries. [email protected] I fully support people writing outside their own ethnicity or any other identity; if they don’t do Staff Writer MEGAN LABRISE their homework and the portrayal is tone-deaf, I also support people speaking up in response. [email protected]

That’s how it goes when you write for public consumption. What I don’t like, and have seen far Vice President of Kirkus Indie KAREN SCHECHNER too much of this year, are nominally diverse books that actually reinforce a white default. These [email protected]

are books that maybe, probably, perhaps include diversity….The usual cues that most characters Senior Indie Editor are assumed white are all there (references to blonde hair, blue eyes, etc., although these are not DAVID RAPP [email protected] traits confined to people who identify as white), but then there is a mysteriously “tan” character. Indie Editor Or one who has a possibly “ethnic” name or hair. Or one whose speech patterns and manner- MYRA FORSBERG isms evoke common stereotypes of particular ethnic groups. But search though the reader might, [email protected] Indie Editorial Assistant there is nothing conclusive to be found. It’s all very puzzling—and, worse, it evokes the damaging KATERINA PAPPAS color-blind mindset that sees race as the difference that dare not speak its name. Otherwise, why [email protected] Editorial Assistant be so coy? CHELSEA ENNEN [email protected]

Gregory McNamee, Contributing Editor: Let’s see. There’s an efficiency paradox. A Jewish Mysteries Editor American paradox. A goodness paradox. An inequality paradox. Somewhere or another, the word THOMAS LEITCH Contributing Editor “paradox” has come to be an ever so slightly gussied up synonym for “problem” when it really means GREGORY McNAMEE something that on its face seems absurd but turns out to be true—or, conversely, something that Copy Editor seems on its face to be true but that turns out to be absurd. Here’s one good use, courtesy of the BETSY JUDKINS authors of The Mind Club: “Trying to perceive your dead mind is paradoxical, because you have to Designer perceive a state that is incapable of perception—which is impossible while you are currently per- ALEX HEAD Director of Kirkus Editorial ceiving.” That’s just so. In 2019, oh writers of book titles, let’s reserve the word “paradox” for the LAUREN BAILEY paradoxical, using “problem” for the problematical, “puzzle” for the puzzling, “question” for the [email protected] Production Editor questionable, and so forth. CATHERINE BRESNER [email protected] Eric Liebetrau, Nonfiction and Managing Editor: I only have one trend Creative Lead I wish would disappear, and I am well-aware that it is a complete fantasy. ARDEN PIACENZA [email protected] However, I am going to put it to the universe and cross my fingers, knowing Website and Software Developer that even if it doesn’t disappear entirely, perhaps it can decrease by at least PERCY PEREZ a small percentage: No more books about Trump and his minions. Good, [email protected] Advertising Director bad, ugly, and otherwise, I simply can’t handle the deluge. From early 2017 MONIQUE STENSRUD until the end of this year, I feel like I lost a chunk of my soul from read- [email protected] Controller ing seemingly endless lists, opinions, and analyses that only reiterate what MICHELLE GONZALES any thoughtful, ethically balanced person knows: Our president is a corrupt, [email protected] morally bankrupt grifter who is decidedly unfit for office. Go pick up Amy for customer service or subscription questions, Siskind’s The List (2018) and see if you can make it through without needing please call 1-800-316-9361 a martini or three. Then realize that book chronicles just the first year of this national nightmare…. No more books about Trump in 2019, please Myra Forsberg, Indie Editor: Many readers cherish the daring cats and boisterous dogs who embark on perilous adventures in picture books. Cover photo by Continued on p. 4 Michael Benabib

2 | 1 january 2019 | from the editor’s desk | kirkus.com | you can now purchase books online at kirkus.com contents fiction The Kirkus Star is awarded INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 5 REVIEWS...... 5 to books of remarkable EDITOR’S NOTE...... 6 merit, as determined by the CHIGOZIE OBIOMA’S ORIGINAL NEW NOVEL...... 14 LYNDSAY FAYE’S BOOK IS A PARAGON OF A THRILLER...... 24 impartial editors of Kirkus. MYSTERY...... 33 SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY...... 39 ROMANCE...... 40 nonfiction INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 44 REVIEWS...... 44 EDITOR’S NOTE...... 46 ON THE COVER: LILI ANOLIK...... 60 RENIQUA ALLEN’S REVEALING DREAM...... 66 children’s INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 81 REVIEWS...... 81 EDITOR’S NOTE...... 82 JONAH WINTER MEETS THE KING...... 88 BOARD & BABY BOOKS...... 99 young adult INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 139 REVIEWS...... 139 EDITOR’S NOTE...... 140 MELISSA DE LA CRUZ’S SUREFIRE NEW HIT...... 146 Greek mythology collides with the lives of SHELF SPACE: UPSHUR STREET BOOKS...... 156 four mortals swept up in the drama of the two world wars in Julie Berry’s transport- indie ive, romantic epic. Read the review on p. 141. INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 157 REVIEWS...... 157 EDITOR’S NOTE...... 158 Don’t wait on the mail for reviews! You can read pre-publication reviews as they are released on kirkus.com even before they are published in the magazine. INDIE Q&A: CHRISTOPHER GREYSON...... 168 — You can also access the current issue and back issues of Kirkus Reviews on our APPRECIATIONS: KINGSLEY AMIS POURS A DRINK...... 183 website by logging in as a subscriber. If you do not have a username or password, please contact customer care to set up your account by calling 1.800.316.9361 or emailing [email protected].

| kirkus.com | contents | 1 january 2019 | 3 While these escapades appeal to pet owners (I certainly love any tale with a gray-and-white feline who resembles my tabby), the genre needs fewer of these familiar stars teaching children worthy lessons. Some of the most striking illustrated works feature wild animals: lions and tigers and bears—and elephants and giraffes—in their natural habitats. Several weave welcome ecological themes into their tapestries. And the uneven Fantastic Beasts books and films have shown audiences the glorious range of mythical and mischievous creatures who can brighten a story. There are more things in heaven and Earth than tales of heroic kitties and pooches. Laurie Muchnick, Fiction Editor: I would be happy not to see the word “Paris” in the title of any books in 2019. We’ve reviewed 21 Paris books in the past three years, including Paris in the Present Tense, Paris by the Book, and The Paris Librarian, not to mention The Light of Paris, Moonlight over Paris, I’ll See You in Paris, and Goodbye, Paris. (If only!) This year, I’m looking forward to reading a book set in Kamchatka, Russia (The Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips), and hope there will be many other surprises to come. Vicky Smith, Children’s Editor: As the industry grows ever more conscious of the necessity for inclusion and diversity, picture books have worked hard to keep up. Formerly all- or mostly white classrooms and playgrounds are becoming vibrantly diverse racially, and more feature visibly dis- abled kids (though fat or even just chubby kids are notably scarce). But indicating specific ethnicity and/or religion is slower to come. Way too few of these ensemble scenes casually feature such items as hijabs, yarmulkes, or topis, articles that kids in the U.S. and around the world often wear. And as in physics, this phenomenon of too little ethnic/religious specificity has a seemingly opposite reaction, and that’s a continued reliance on stereotype to indicate diversity. Want to make sure readers understand this girl is Inuit? Dress her in a fur parka. What about that Polynesian boy? Present him, shirtless, in a lavalava. Yes, it communicates specificity, but only in a hopelessly exoticizing fashion, particularly when juxtaposed with kids in typical casual Western attire. There must be a way to give kids a sense of their global community without resorting to an “It’s a Small World” paradigm. So my resolution on the industry’s behalf is to continue to expand what diversity and inclusion look like—thoughtfully, so it’s just right. Karen Schechner, Vice President of Kirkus Indie: Broken-record alert, but in 2018, I’ve developed an anaphylactic reaction to fake, scam, maddeningly untrue, lying lies from agenda-pushing, self-serving saboteurs—especially as the lies distract from the dismantling of undersung but critical government agencies (which Michael Lewis outlines in The Fifth Risk). As Elizabeth Graber, an editor at Palgrave Macmillan, put it (much more elegantly and minus the acid bitterness): “I’m never a fan of books that rely solely on suppositions over tangible evidence and data.” David Rapp, Senior Indie Editor: I started a new column for Kirkus in 2018 called “Screener,” about film and TV adaptations of books. It was a banner year for backlist adaptations, with TV miniseries of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and film versions of quiet chamber pieces (Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger) and blockbuster thrillers (Steve Alten’s Meg). It’s great to see older books get their due—The Little Stranger, for instance, was published nine years ago; Meg, more than two decades ago; and Hill House, more than half a century ago—and it’s a trend I’d love to see continue. However, I’d also love to see movie tie-in cover art go away. I understand why it’s done—if you saw the recent AMC TV adaptation of John le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl, for example, you may look for a cover photo of actors Florence Pugh, Michael Shannon, and Alexander Skårsgard at your local bookstore. But I miss the stark typogra- phy of the first edition’s art or the enigmatic illustration of a theatergoer on the most recent trade paperback. Cover art is an important part of the whole experience, and I wish publishers weren’t so quick to toss their original visions aside when Hollywood comes calling. Chelsea Ennen, Editorial Assistant: I grow weary of dystopias! So many of them are beautifully done, and it’s pretty obvious why that trend has been sticking around, but must everything be dour? I’m thinking of contemporary science fiction and fantasy in particular. I always perk up when I come across a novel that tackles the political climate and fantastical worldbuilding without making me feel like I need to watch The Great British Bake Off to soothe myself. Those genres are about social commentary, yes, but that doesn’t need to mean ditching escapism or fun of any kind. Along those same lines, more sci-fi and fantasy with intimate stakes, please. There is a lot of breathing room between “my life is perfect” and “I have to save my country/planet/universe from utter destruction!” Megan Labrise, Staff Writer: If you are a male novelist who thinks the highest compliment to a female character is to base her on yourself (and add a vagina), I didn’t really like your book. It’s easy to spot an arbitrarily female protagonist by her reckless disregard for personal safety, her inordinate upper body strength, the way she preens in conversation…in fact, she downright banters. (No one banters anymore; we barely speak face to face. Banter moved to Twitter—became something else entirely—try setting your novel in the 1920s.) Bonus demerits if you’re straight and made her queer so she would like women like you do. Ugh. Bro. Really? Anyone who writes outside their lived experience should do a little research.

4 | 1 january 2019 | from the editor’s desk | kirkus.com | fiction These titles earned the Kirkus Star: GOLDEN CHILD Adam, Claire SJP for Hogarth (304 pp.) HOMELAND by Fernando Aramburu; trans. by Alfred MacAdam.... 6 $26.00 | Jan. 29, 2019 978-0-525-57299-2 TRUST EXERCISE by Susan Choi...... 11 NOTES FROM A BLACK WOMAN’S DIARY by Kathleen Collins; A debut novel about class strife, mas- ed. by Nina Lorez Collins...... 13 culinity, and brotherhood in contemporary Trinidad. LOST AND WANTED by Nell Freudenberger...... 16 Adam—herself a native of Trinidad— tells the story of Paul and Peter Deyalsingh, THE RIVER by Peter Heller...... 17 twins of Indian descent whose lives rap-

MIRACLE CREEK by Angie Kim...... 20 idly diverge. Paul is socially awkward, a bundle of nervous tics and young adult strange habits, and from a young age he is dubbed unhealthy by THE OTHER AMERICANS by Laila Lalami...... 21 his industrious father, Clyde, who works tirelessly doing physical labor at a petroleum plant in order to afford a better life for his chil- THE PROMISE OF ELSEWHERE by Brad Leithauser...... 21 dren—or, at least, one of them. As he ages, his family becomes convinced that he is “slightly retarded,” and he is marked as doomed THE WOLF AND THE WATCHMAN by Niklas Natt och Dag...... 25 in comparison to his precociously intelligent brother, Peter—the THE ALTRUISTS by Andrew Ridker...... 27 “healthy” child. After Peter’s unexpected success on a standardized test, Clyde and his wife, Joy, single him out as gifted while com- WOMEN TALKING by Miriam Toews...... 30 municating to Paul that his possibilities are far more limited. Joy works hard to keep her children together—“The boys are . THE BIRD KING by G. Willow Wilson...... 32 twins They must stay together,” she frequently demands—but Peter’s AUNTIE POLDI AND THE VINEYARDS OF ETNA intellectual gifts create a chasm between him and Paul. Peter is by Mario Giordano; trans. by John Brownjohn...... 35 destined to leave the island, while Paul’s horizon never exceeds hard labor, like his father before him. Despite the efforts of Father AN UNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM by Alyssa Cole...... 40 Kavanagh, a kindly Irish Catholic priest who takes it upon himself to teach Paul, the family is forced to make an irrevocable decision THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR by Roni Loren...... 42 that will determine the boys’ fates. Adam excels at sympathetically depicting the world of economic insecurity, unpredictable violence, limited opportunity, and mutual distrust that forces Clyde and Joy TRUST EXERCISE to make their fateful decision. Unfortunately, however, the novel telegraphs its biggest plot twist. One can see the narrative gears Choi, Susan Henry Holt (272 pp.) turning very early, and as a result Clyde’s decision isn’t harrowing; $27.00 | Apr. 2, 2019 by the time its necessary consequences unfold, a reader might be 978-1-250-30988-4 less moved than Adam hopes. It doesn’t help that many of the characters are sketchily drawn at best. Clyde, Joy, and Peter are not vividly depicted, and the decision that renders Paul disposable seems to emanate out of a psychological vacuum. In the absence of any emotional stakes, the last third of the novel unfolds like a generic thriller. That’s unfortunate, as Adam has otherwise written an incisive and loving portrait of contemporary Trinidad. Paul is the most fully realized character: Adam movingly depicts his struggle to break free of his family’s conceptions of his abilities. As a result, the novel is most moving when it becomes a heart-rending character study of post-colonial adolescence that recalls V.S. Naipaul and George Lamming. A fascinating novel that fails to stick its landing.

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 5 what to watch for in 2019

The title of Kristen Roupenian’s HOMELAND upcoming story collection speaks for Aramburu, Fernando me at this time of year: You Know Trans. by MacAdam, Alfred You Want This. I want Roupenian’s Pantheon (608 pp.) $29.95 | Mar. 5, 2019 book, which will include her infa- 978-1-5247-4712-1 mous “Cat Person” story; it will be published on Jan. 15. And there are Complex tale of the long-lingering so many other books to want in 2019! effects of political murder in a Basque town. “Before what happened with Txato,” I’ve been waiting almost 18 years writes San Sebastián native Aramburu, for a new novel by Elizabeth Mc- “Bittori had been a believer.” What hap- Cracken; Bowlaway comes out on Feb. 5, and our starred pened with Txato is revealed, bit by bit, over the course of 125 review makes it sound fantastic: “Bleak House meets Our short chapters that focus on the many players involved, but the in a century-spanning novel basic facts emerge early on: A businessman, Txato, has been mur- Town dered by a member of the Basque separatist group ETA, who are set in a New England bowling alley.” criminals or freedom fighters depending on one’s point of view. Valeria Luiselli’s Lost Children Ar Bittori, Txato’s widow, knows what side she falls on; she has to chive (Feb. 12) is her first novel since be dissuaded from including a denunciation of the movement The Story of My Teeth, which was a on Txato’s tombstone, for fear that there will be further trouble. Kirkus Prize finalist in 2015. Fans of “They already killed him once,” Bittori replies. “I don’t think they’ll kill him again.” But death and sorrow ensue all the same: Kate Atkinson’s private-eye series Bittori loses both her faith and the friendship of her childhood are rejoicing at the announcement companion, Miren, even as her own children slip away, unable to of Big Sky (June 25), Jackson Bro- face the tragedy; her daughter, Nerea, does not even attend the die’s first appearance since 2011. I’ve funeral, perhaps for fear of being targeted herself, while Bittori leaves her village so that she “wouldn’t have to go on suffering the been waiting impatiently for Erin menacing stares of the neighbors—friendly for so many years and Morgenstern’s follow-up to her enchanting debut, The then, suddenly, just the opposite.” For her part, Miren undergoes Night Circus; her second novel, The Starless Sea, about a trials of her own: One of her sons has been imprisoned as an ETA secret subterranean library, will be out on Nov. 5. terrorist, while her own daughter, Arantxa, has been paralyzed by I wouldn’t have guessed that Marlon James’ follow-up a stroke. For all their shared tribulations, Miren and Bittori, once the closest of friends, now stand on opposite sides of a vast gulf, to his Man Booker–prizewinning A Brief History of Seven and if life goes on, it goes on without them; the novel’s closing Killings would be, as our starred review dubs it, a “swords- words make clear that their wounds will never be healed. Aram- and-sorcery epic set in a mythical Africa [that’s] also part buru recounts the lives of ordinary people shattered by events that detective story, part quest fable, and part inquiry into are ongoing in Spain today even years after ETA has suspended its the nature of truth, belief, and destiny,” but that’s Black armed campaign; the reader needs no background in that tangled history to understand that basic, terrible truth. Leopard, Red Wolf (Feb. 5). A humane, memorable work of literature. Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends was one of the breakout hits of last year; her new novel, Normal Peo ple—also about intense young people in Dublin—comes MARS out on April 16. My nightstand is piled with galleys from Bakić, Asja Trans. by Zoble, Jennifer Laila Lalami (The Other Americans, March 26), Susan Feminist Press (144 pp.) Choi (Trust Exercise, April 2), Nell Freudenberger (Lost $16.95 paper | Mar. 12, 2019 and Wanted, April 2), and Colson Whitehead (The Nick 978-1-936932-48-1 el Boys, July 16). And I’m anxiously awaiting an advance A debut short story collection from edition of Fleishman Is in Trouble, a debut novel by New Bosnian writer Bakić takes an off-kilter York Times Magazine writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner (June look at sexuality, death, and the power of 18)—I hope her publicist is listening! —L.M. literature. In “Day Trip to Durmitor,” the first . story in Bakić’s mysterious debut, two secretaries of the afterlife Laurie Muchnick is the fiction editor greet the dead protagonist. Her task, they explain, is to write a book of stories; if they’re good, the protagonist gets to return to the

6 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | land of the living—as a zombie on the “hunt for the human brain.” PROFESSOR CHANDRA After all, one of the secretaries says, “Literature is...the primary FOLLOWS HIS BLISS link between life and death.” Indeed, many of Bakić’s stories have Balasubramanyam, Rajeev writer protagonists who are in deeply strange predicaments. One Dial Press (368 pp.) wants to write an article on a cult living in a cave made of green $27.00 | Mar. 26, 2019 glowing rock only to discover she has the same supernatural pow- 978-0-525-51138-0 ers as the cult leader (“The Guest”). One is a novelist caught in a web of deception and obsession over the true author of the latest Once again this year, Cambridge pro- literary smash (“Passions”). Another is, with all other writers, part fessor P.R. Chandrasekhar has not won of a new settlement on Mars after being exiled from Earth when the Nobel Prize, and things are going to writing was declared “the greatest evil to have befallen humankind” get worse before they get any better. (“Mars”). There is even an Orphan Black–esque narrative in which “Professor Chandra was the foremost a writer named Asja has been cloned and must organize with her trade economist in the world, could phone any finance minister variants against their creator (“Asja 5.0”). Bakić’s stories are per- in any country at any time and have them take his call.” The fectly of the American short-fiction zeitgeist—dark, sometimes fourth novel from Balasubramanyam (Starstruck, 2015, etc.) indeterminate, sidestepping realism—but as the afterword points introduces its self-important antihero on the day he not only out, there are few writers from the Balkans that make use of the misses the Nobel, but is called on the carpet and asked to take speculative or the dystopian in their work, which makes this col- a sabbatical because he has called a student an imbecile. On the lection all the more darkly alluring. way out, he is hit by a bicyclist and has a heart attack. Ordered The bizarre and often inscrutable worlds here should to spend two months resting, he lies in bed and watches the

find fans among lovers of cutting-edge short fiction. entire first season ofFriends , “finally understanding the jokes his young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 7 children had made throughout the nineties.” But Chandra has THE SUSPECT a great deal more to understand about his children; the simple Barton, Fiona relationships he had with them when they were small have long Berkley (416 pp.) since soured. He has been estranged from his older daughter $26.00 | Jan. 22, 2019 for several years, his son lives in Hong Kong and rarely visits, 978-1-101-99051-3 and his teenage daughter is in Colorado with his ex-wife, Jean, and her new husband, Steve. He goes to visit her in Boulder, When two girls traveling in Thailand but long-simmering resentments result in his punching Steve turn up dead in a suspicious fire, journal- in the nose shortly after he arrives. In exchange for pretending ist Kate Waters follows the story without to Jean that his injury was caused by swimming into the wall disclosing a hidden agenda. of the swimming pool, Steve—a highly evolved being who has Kate’s son, a former golden boy, spent much time in India—forces Chandra to enroll in a three- dropped out of school and traveled to day workshop at Esalen, the famous retreat center/hot springs Thailand two years prior, and he’s been in sporadic touch since. in Big Sur. Here, the professor’s bumpy road to self-awareness Coincidentally, it turns out that he was present at the same begins, with a detailed but not too didactic presentation of guesthouse on the night the girls died. Sidelined because of exactly what goes on at “Being Yourself in the Summer Solstice.” her conflict of interest, Kate continues to investigate, as does Post-Esalen, a crisis befalls the family that gives Chandra the DI Bob Sparkes, a compassionate policeman distracted by opportunity to rebuild his relationships. the impending death of his wife. Which leads one to wonder: Recovering fuddy-duddy Chandra is a droll creation, When did all thriller writers begin to fashion themselves as psy- and his journey of self-realization feels like the real thing. chologists? There’s a dead giveaway to any possible plot twist—a

8 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A heartland novel that evokes the possibility of everyday miracles. little faith

character whose face or eyes is described as “blank.” In Barton’s Deploying an inimitable tone that packs sardonic sto- (The Child, 2017, etc.) book, to be fair, it takes almost 300 pages rytelling atop action and adventure, with a side of charac- to reach this moment, and up until that point, she creates quite ter development, Boyle’s voice works even when it feels like a bit of narrative interest by giving voice to the victims in addi- it shouldn’t. It’s just the right kind of too much. tion to the many people involved in the investigation—driven reporters, bereaved parents, and very human policemen. But once the killer is clearly outed, even though it takes another 100 LITTLE FAITH pages for all the pieces to fall into place, the novel quickly loses Butler, Nickolas steam. Even a final moral conundrum that should immediately Ecco/HarperCollins (336 pp.) freeze the blood of any parent seems overly constructed rather $26.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 than shocking. By that point, it had become tiresome reading 978-0-06-246971-7 about most of the characters and their shifty relationships to the truth. “No one is to be believed ever,” seems to be a major A heartland novel that evokes the takeaway. Oh, and P.S., don’t let your kids run wild in Thailand. possibility of everyday miracles. This has the potential to be a thoughtful thriller with The third novel by Wisconsin author an interesting setting, but Barton is too willing to cater to Butler (Beneath the Bonfire, 2015, etc.) expectations—short chapters, familiar clues, and stereo- shows that he knows this terrain inside typical villains. out, in terms of tone and theme as well as geography. Nothing much happens in this small town in western Wisconsin, not far from the river that serves as the border with

A FRIEND IS A GIFT YOU young adult GIVE YOURSELF Boyle, William Pegasus Crime (320 pp.) $25.95 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-64313-058-3

Aided by an obliging grifter, a Brook- lyn grandma on the run tries to mend her relationship with her estranged grand- child as the three outrun mob goons in the latest from Boyle (The Lonely Witness, 2018, etc.). Things haven’t been good for Rena Ruggeiro ever since the death of her husband, Vic, nine years ago and her realization that her daughter, Adrienne, had been running around with Vic’s right-hand man, Richie Schiavano, since high school. In spite of Vic’s connections, Rena’s always kept her nose clean and stuck to her routine in her Bensonhurst community, beginning with Mass and McDonald’s coffee every Sunday. There’s no sense in Rena getting overexcited like Adrienne would. After all, Adrienne hasn’t spoken to Rena ever since Rena said her piece about Richie and his quality as a partner. Now, however, Adri- enne has a 15-year-old daughter, Lucia, who doesn’t even know her grandmother. Rena ponders these problems but doesn’t act until her pushy neighbor, Enzio, makes a move and she wal- lops him with an ashtray that brings him down and maybe kills him. What can she do but grab the keys to his classic Impala and high-tail it to the Bronx in the hopes that Adrienne’s in a charitable mood and can help her sort things out? But Adrienne is much the same, and Rena finds herself trying to figure out her next step as she sits in the living room of Adrienne’s neighbor Lacey “Wolfie” Wolfstein, a soft-core porn star–turned–con artist who’s taken a shine to Lucia. All this is prologue to the real drama, a caper-inspired road story of quirky personalities on the run littered with gruesome deaths as the truth about the hit on Vic comes out—along with so much more.

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 9 Minnesota, which attracts some tourism in the summer but retrospect like a miracle (it certainly didn’t seem to involve any otherwise seems to exist outside of time. The seasons change, of the complications and paperwork that adoptions typically but any other changes are probably for the worse—local busi- involve). Shiloh was a rebellious child who left as soon as she nesses can’t survive the competition of big-box stores, local kids could and has now returned home with her 5-year-old son, Isaac. move elsewhere when they grow up, local churches see their Grandparenting gives Lyle another chance to experience what congregations dwindle. Sixty-five-year-old Lyle Hovde and his he missed with his own son, yet drama ensues when Shiloh falls wife, Peg, have lived here all their lives; they were married in for a charismatic evangelist who might be a cult leader (and he’s the same church where he was baptized and where he’s sure his a stranger to these parts, so he can’t be much good). Though funeral will be. His friends have been friends since boyhood; he the plot builds toward a dramatic climax, it ends with more of had the same job at an appliance store where he fixed what they a quiet epiphany. sold until the store closed. Then he retired, or semiretired, as he The novelist loves this land and these characters, with found a new routine as the only employee at an apple orchard, their enduring values amid a way of life that seems to be where the aging owners are less concerned with making money dying. than with being good stewards of the Earth. The novel is like a favorite flannel shirt, relaxed and comfortable, well-crafted even as it deals with issues of life and death, faith and doubt that KING OF JOY Lyle somehow takes in stride. He and Peg lost their only child Chiem, Richard when he was just a few months old, a tragedy which shook his Soft Skull Press (192 pp.) faith even as he maintained his rituals. He and Peg subsequently $15.95 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 adopted a baby daughter, Shiloh, through what might seem in 978-1-59376-309-1

A young woman suffering from grief beyond measure pours her suffering into a job as an adult-film actress. After cresting the wave between short stories and a novel in his first book, Chiem (You Private Person, 2017) delivers a proper novel here, albeit one that uses shifts in time, hallucinatory wordplay, and a deeply wounded protagonist to strange effect. When we meet the main character, Corvus, she’s at some kind of Burning Man–lite event in the California desert, watching things burn: “What am I doing here? There’s a fuck- ing tree on fire and no one is doing shit.” Her defining character trait is present from the start: “Grief is an out-of-body thing, the worst secret you can have,” Chiem writes. “You live in one terrible place trapped inside your head while your body lives in another terrible place entirely.” The novel takes its time divulg- ing Corvus’ tragedy and in the meantime hooks her up with a pornographer named Tim and a shady studio where she forms a bond with another actress named Amber. When Tim decides to profit from the popularity of sexual-abuse porn, he savagely attacks Amber, who escapes and runs off with Corvus. In the second of three sections, Chiem reveals his main character’s largely stoned but idyllic former life, working in a movie theater and meeting the boyish playwright who would become her husband. Like the song says, the scene ends badly, as you might imagine. Back on the run, Corvus and Amber seek out Tim’s video distributor, a spooky diva who lives in a remote mansion surrounded by, of all things, wild hippos and filled with enough champagne and pharmaceuticals for anyone to reach liftoff. Chiem can’t stick the landing—his denouement is abrupt, incongruous, and garish—but it’s still a remarkable portrayal of restless youth, made sweeter by the author’s crisp, spare prose and a thoughtful portrayal of a woman who lost her way. Just another sad chapter in life’s rich tragedy.

10 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | What begins as the story of obsessive first love between drama students twists into something much darker. trust exercise

TRUST EXERCISE Theatre Arts, who has positioned himself as the central figure Choi, Susan in his students’ lives, holding power not only over their profes- Henry Holt (272 pp.) sional futures, but their social ones as well: part parent, part guru, $27.00 | Apr. 2, 2019 part master manipulator. But when Sarah and David return in 978-1-250-30988-4 the fall, their relationship instantly crumbles, and in the wake of their very public dissolution, Sarah finds herself increasingly What begins as the story of obsessive isolated, dismissed into the shadows of CAPA life. Until, that first love between drama students ata spring, a British theater troupe comes to campus as part of a cul- competitive performing arts high school tural exchange, and Sarah, along with her classmate Karen, begin in the early 1980s twists into something parallel relationships with the English imports: Karen is in love much darker in Choi’s singular new novel. with the director, and Sarah is uncomfortably linked to his pro- The summer between their freshman tégé, the production’s star. It is, until now, a straightforward story, and sophomore years at the Citywide Academy for the Perform- capturing—with nauseating, addictive accuracy—the particular ing Arts—an elite institution “intended to cream off the most power dynamics of elite theater training. And then, in the second talented at selected pursuits from the regular places all over the part of the novel, Pulitzer finalist Choi My( Education, 2013, etc.) [unnamed Southern] city” where they lived—Sarah and David upends everything we thought we knew, calling the truth of the consummate the romance that had been brewing the whole original narrative into question. (A short coda, set in 2013, recasts previous year. It is the natural culmination of the “taut, even it again.) This could easily be insufferable; in Choi’s hands, it dangerous energy running between them,” which—while natu- works: an effective interrogation of memory, the impossible gulf rally occurring—has been fostered by Mr. Kingsley, the head of between accuracy and the stories we tell. And yet, as rigorous and young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 11

as clever and as relevant as it is, the second half of the novel never turns much darker the day that, following a tip, he sees her play- quite reaches the soaring heights of the first. It’s hardly a deal ing guitar in Central Park and tries to talk to her. Paige, clearly breaker: the writing (exquisite) and the observations (cuttingly strung out on drugs, takes off, and the closest Simon comes to accurate) make Choi’s latest both wrenching and one-of-a-kind. catching her is punching her companion, junkie Aaron Cor- Never sentimental; always thrillingly alive. val, in the face. His attack, captured on the phone videos of passers-by, goes viral, and he’s rebuked by millions of strangers. Three months later, Bronx Homicide Detective Isaac Fagbenle RUN AWAY turns up in Simon’s office asking questions about the murder of Coben, Harlan Aaron, who vanished instead of sticking around to press charges. Grand Central Publishing (384 pp.) Simon and his pediatrician wife, Ingrid, go to visit the crime $14.99 | Mar. 19, 2019 scene in the hope of picking up Paige’s trail, and moments 978-1-5387-4846-6 after one of Aaron’s scuzzball neighbors warns them, “Even if you find her, this story won’t have a happy ending,” bullets fly, A Manhattan money manager who sending Ingrid to the hospital in a coma. Meanwhile, Chicago once had it all is threatened with losing PI Elena Ramirez is hired to find the missing adopted son of most of it in Coben’s latest greased-light- wealthy Sebastian Thorpe III, and a mysterious pair named Ash ning domestic thriller. and Dee Dee are executing a laid-off meat packer in Boston and Things haven’t been that great for a tattoo artist in suburban New Jersey. Clearly all this mayhem Simon Greene ever since his daughter, is somehow connected, and readers spoiled by Coben’s long Paige, dropped out of college and disappeared. But his world history of triple-barreled thrillers (Don’t Let Go, 2017, etc.) will

12 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com |

A rare pleasure. notes from a black woman’s diary

be turning the pages with bated breath. But the broadly hinted THE STORY PRIZE connection, a Maine religious commune to which Dee Dee pro- Dark, Larry—Ed. fesses undying loyalty, is more cartoonish than compelling, and Catapult (400 pp.) the alternating chapters recounting the investigations of Simon $16.95 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 and Elena dilute the suspense instead of intensifying it. By the 978-1-936787-63-0 time the double-twist payoff arrives, fans will be torn between dissatisfaction and relief. An anthology marking the 15th anni- In seeking to extend his formidable range, Coben over- versary of the annual prize celebrating col- reaches: the far-flung complications feel forced and sche- lections of short stories. matic rather than nightmarish. Wait till next year. There is not much unity to be found in these pages; as editor Dark writes of the stories in this volume: “Each is dis- NOTES FROM A BLACK tinctive, sometimes jarringly different in tone, scope, and lan- WOMAN’S DIARY guage from the story that precedes or follows it.” All, however, Collins, Kathleen are skillful distillations, sometimes of whole lives—Patrick Collins, Nina Lorez—Ed. O’Keeffe’s evocation, for instance, of gloomy rural Ireland and Ecco/HarperCollins (464 pp.) its generations of secrets kept (“You know the way them older $17.99 paper | Feb. 5, 2019 people are, can’t say a word or ask them anything ever, excuse 978-0-06-280095-4 me now for saying so, Missus”)—and sometimes of smaller moments, such as Steven Millhauser’s lyrical description of

A multigenre collection of Collins’ young adult (Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?, 2016) previously unpublished writing— fiction, letters, diary entries, plays, and screenplays—collected here and edited by her daughter, 30 years after the author’s death. “The greatest marvel of Collins’s writing is that she is a magician in her use of interiority,” writes Danielle Evans (Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, 2010) in the collection’s introduction. “She can just slip underneath a moment of tension barely noticed by those in the world of the story and give us a character’s entire interior life, but she is also a master of the moments when...all pretense drops away and the unsayable is given words and said out loud.” It is, as the works here quickly demonstrate, a mastery that transcends form. The book opens with a trio of short stories, each of them centered around a woman as she is observed, followed by an excerpt from an unfinished novel, Lollie: A Suburban Tale, in which a bohemian husband and wife fight for narrative control of their marriage. It’s a fight that ends prematurely; the immediate tragedy is the excerpt cuts off. The fragments from Collins’ actual life—first the diary entries and then the letters—are as arrestingly clear as the fiction, small and expansive at once. Dated Sept. 9: “They’re selling an old medieval house on Mason’s Road, where the rooms go on endlessly, like a labyrinth. We went there on Saturday and bought five red chairs for the kitchen.” And reflecting on life onan April 11: “Instead of dealing with race I went in search of love... and what I found was a very hungry colored lady.” The bulk of the work here, though, are the scripts, one for her 1982 feature film, Losing Ground—a “comedy drama” about a philosophy professor who finds herself starring in a student film that hews unsettlingly close to her real life—and one for the stage play The Brothers, the story of a striving middle-class black family, told by its grieving women. Reading Collins work the same themes over again and again across mediums is a rare pleasure—as close as most of us will ever come to her spectacular mind.

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 13

INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Chigozie Obioma

HIS DEEPLY ORIGINAL NEW NOVEL TELLS A DISTINCTLY NIGERIAN STORY By Joshunda Sanders

The title of the novel is a loose translation of a Ni- gerian proverb related to a common phenomenon based on the mournful sound that a group of chickens makes when hawks swoop down and take one of their fellow birds. It doesn’t have a precise or neat English equivalent, but Obioma elegantly returns throughout the novel to the sentiment it evokes. The proverb is about what individual power we have and what is beyond our control. It’s a proverb about destiny, Obioma says. “When something bad happens to us, are we powerless, or is there something we can do to stop it? Usually we say this is something God has done. Someone might say it’s God that gives voice to the little things and to the sound that the chickens make.” In the novel, the voices of those who would seem inconsequential or little or powerless are centered even as the reader wonders if they will sur- Chigozie Obioma’s epic second novel, An Orchestra vive their fate. The backdrop to this fateful love of Minorities (Jan. 8), is inspired by a real man named story is the story of the old and the new, of keeping Jay whom Obioma met in his travels to Cyprus and tradition and culture in the face of westernization who was swindled out of his money in a scam which and assimilation. led to his demise. The book features Chinonso, an The use of the ancient chi as narrator allows “a uneducated poultry farmer in rural Nigeria who be- kind of comprehensive account of how Africans saw comes so enamored of Ndali, whom he saves from white people when they first came to Africa,” Obio- jumping from a bridge, that he sacrifices everything— ma says. “The chi describes how we can maintain land, dignity, sanity—to have her. Chinonso’s guard- some of the small particulates of how people used to ian spirit, or his 700-year-old chi, narrates the book. live at a time when there’s a movement among black Chinonso’s love is not enough to overcome the people toward the ancestral religion again and a lot of fact that Ndali doesn’t love him back and that her people are trying to understand what the people have family—which is better educated and wealthier than lost through colonialism.” his—will never accept him.

14 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | At the intersection of these philosophical and structural questions, Obioma knits together Afri- can spirituality with traditional Western touches as he channels the Greek and Shakespearean tragedies he grew up reading. In An Orchestra of Minorities, the clearest parallel is The Odyssey. “There’s something about the journey that mirrors Chinonso’s experi- a rainstorm that melts away the snowmen the narrator and a ence, him trying to get his woman back.” clutch of fellow children have made (“Already, it seemed to me, our snowmen were showing evidence of a skill so excessive, an Africans believe, broadly, in the universe of this elaboration so painfully and exquisitely minute, that it could novel in the supernatural realm, “the reincarnation of scarcely conceal a desperate restlessness”). Most of the writers are well-published and relatively well-known, though not events, not just people,” Obioma says. “The arrow of always for short stories: Rick Bass, for instance, though his stories are often anthologized, is thought of first as a novelist, as misfortune…these are some of the ideas at the heart are Edwige Danticat, George Saunders, and Tobias Wolff. Dark of the Igbo belief. Something happens to you, you finds room for a few writers who are earlier on in their careers, such as Daniyal Mueenuddin, a Pakistani-American writer who don’t deserve it, it just comes to you, there’s no ex- writes of a love affair that takes on complicated dimensions planation for it, really. This is something I’ve always when the young woman finds that she is pregnant: “The old midwife from the village,” Mueenuddin writes ominously, “with wanted to probe for a long time.” filthy hands and a greedy heart, brought the baby into the world, In , Obioma finally gets a tiny little boy.” The baby will be fighting against the odds, it An Orchestra of Minorities appears, but then happiness is not a commodity that flows in his chance to probe. The most haunting revelation abundance in many of these stories, with the possible exception of Mary Gordon’s literal shaggy dog story, a delight to read. may turn out to be that destiny is not the most press- A touch less diverse than the Best American Short Story ing open question of them all. Instead, it may be that and Pushcart Prize annuals but still a pleasure for students young adult of the genre. each of us is powerless to answer the question of whether we can survive our fate until we are tested. IF, THEN Day, Kate Hope Random House (272 pp.) Joshunda Sanders is a writer and educator living in New $26.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 York City. 978-0-525-51122-9 Possibilities and parallel lives collide in this debut novel about frustrated marriages, hidden desires, and environmental disaster. When an emergency room pager dis- rupts Ginny, an ambitious surgeon, from her nighttime routine, she’s surprised to look over and suddenly see her colleague Edith lying in bed—instead of her husband, Mark. “Ginny smells warm skin and damp sheets; she hears her own quickened breath....The woman reaches out, as if to stroke Ginny’s hair. Then, in an instant, she’s gone.” Startled by this vision, Ginny seeks medical answers even as she pursues the desire it revealed. Meanwhile, Mark, an environmental scientist, struggles to gain the respect of his colleagues, who dismiss his obsessive research “on the connection between geothermal activity and animal behavior.” (Perhaps it’s because he gives his research project an unfortunate acronym: DAMN.) Compelled by an impending sense of doom he can’t explain, Mark dives into the “prepper” communities of the Pacific Northwest and begins to build a backyard survival shelter for his family. Woven through the story of Ginny and Mark’s crumbling marriage are the lives of their two neighbors, Samara, a young real estate agent still reeling from her mother’s untimely death, and Cass, a young mother struggling to regain her footing as a philosophy Ph.D. after the birth of her daughter. Broken Mountain, a dormant volcano that “rises...misty green” above the town of Clearing, Oregon, looms over them all—giving off tremors

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 15 that bring on visions of alternate realities. Day’s first novel Brimming with wit and intelligence and devoted to recalls the philosophical headiness of a TV show like Lost and things that matter: life, love, death, and the mysteries of remixes this sensibility with the chronological playfulness of the cosmos. Cloud Atlas or Atonement. But, until the story really takes off, the emotional stakes of the novel are low—and the prose feels flat and inert, almost like stage directions. There are more affecting GLIDING FLIGHT moments in the second half of the book, like Samara’s attempt Goemans, Anne-Gine to buy back her mother’s effects from Goodwill: “The mound Trans. by Forest-Flier, Nancy of miscellaneous things has grown almost as tall as she is. It World Editions (448 pp.) looks heavy and dark and sad. You don’t really want all that stuff, $17.99 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 her mother’s voice says. It was mine, and I didn’t even want it.” 978-1-64286-008-5 With all the atmospheric mist crowding out its emotional center, this book’s heart is difficult to locate—but the occasional A teenage boy trains his pet geese glimpses show promise. surrounded by a cast of characters even A suburban drama built to leap from page to screen. more eccentric than he is. It’s the present day, more or less, and we’re in the Netherlands. Gieles is almost LOST AND WANTED 15. His mother has been gone for months Freudenberger, Nell on yet another vague mission of aid to Africa. Gieles and his Knopf (336 pp.) father wait at home, with Uncle Fred, next door to an airport run- $26.95 | Apr. 2, 2019 way that has been steadily taking over the neighborhood. Gieles’ 978-0-385-35268-0 father works for the airport, shooing away the flocks of birds that threaten to cause accidents. Gieles’ personal hero is Capt. Sully, A physicist at MIT receives a text who miraculously landed a plane after a number of geese tangled from her dead best friend. themselves up in its engines. This is Goemans’ second novel, her “In the first few months after -Char first to be translated into English. It’s a funny, tenderhearted lie died, I began hearing from her much book reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine—it has a similar cast more frequently,” Helen Clapp explains of lost, confused, and eccentric characters. Gieles befriends an at the outset of Freudenberger’s (The overweight older neighbor who calls himself Super Waling and Newlyweds, 2012, etc.) third novel. Charlie Boyce and Helen met who soon starts sharing with Gieles chapters of a story he’s writ- freshman year at Harvard. Though they were “an upper-middle- ing. Super Waling’s story concerns his own ancestors but also the class black girl from Brookline”—Charlie—“and a work-study larger Dutch history of reclaiming land from water. Gieles, mean- white science nerd from Pasadena”—Helen—their friendship while, is trying to train his two pet geese to perform a secret feat took flight, powered by in-jokes, catchphrases, shared ambi- of heroics so impressive it will convince his wayward mother to tions, and theories about life. After graduation, Charlie moved stay home. Goemans occasionally skates a little too close to sen- to LA and became a screenwriter, married a surfer, had a little timentality, and not all her characters come equally to life (Gieles’ girl. Helen stayed in Boston and became famous as one of the silent, stoic father, for one), but still, the novel is a wonderful mix authors of the Clapp-Jonnal model “for quark gluon plasma as of humor and gentle melancholy. Gieles is a compassionate boy, a dual black hole in five-dimensional space-time.” She wrote and he seems to draw wounded people toward him in the same two bestselling science books and gained an endowed chair way that he draws forward his geese. We’d be lucky to have more at MIT; her 7-year-old son, Jack, whose father was an anony- like him in this world. mous sperm donor, became the “love of [her] life.” As the novel A sweet, sympathetic novel with a sense of humor. begins, Charlie has just died of lupus. Though they hadn’t spoken for over a year, Helen is now receiving texts from Charlie’s cellphone, which her husband hasn’t been able to find since she WHEN ALL IS SAID died. Strangely, they seem like they could only have been writ- Griffin, Anne ten by...Charlie? Meanwhile, said husband and daughter come Thomas Dunne Books (336 pp.) to stay with Charlie’s parents in Boston; also back in town is $26.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 Neel Jonnal, Helen’s college boyfriend and collaborator, now 978-1-250-20058-7 with a fiancee. Complications ensue, though not the predictable soap-opera ones you’d imagine. Freudenberger is good at What becomes of the brokenhearted? explaining physics, but her real genius is in the depiction of That question, asked—and answered relationships. Each one in the novel, whether between adults, equivocally—in the Motown classic, adults and children, or among children, is unique, finely cali- receives a more thorough treatment in brated, and real. The title is a line from a poem by W.H. Auden Griffin’s debut novel. which doesn’t fully hit until the end of the book, when it takes Maurice Hannigan, Irish octogenar- on heart-rending poignancy. ian and curmudgeon, plans a memorable night at a hotel bar in

16 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Two college friends’ leisurely river trek becomes an ordeal of fire and human malice. the river

his native County Meath. As the night wears on, Maurice raises briskly but calmly capturing the scenery in slower moments, a narrative toast to each of five characters—family members then running full-throttle and shifting to barreling prose when all—to be followed by a solitary stay in the honeymoon suite. As danger is imminent. (The fire sounds like “turbines and the sud- Maurice’s sentimental (yet cleareyed) trip down Memory Lane den shear of a strafing plane, a thousand thumping hooves in unfolds, his stories recount early difficulties at a rural school as cavalcade, the clamor and thud of shields clashing, the swelling well as later-in-life successes in the business world. Each stage applause of multitudes....”) And though the tale is a familiar one of his life is illustrated with a tale about one of the five, all now of fending off the deadliness of the wilderness and one’s fellow deceased but for a devoted, yet distant, son. The lingering pres- man, Heller has such a solid grasp of nature (both human and ence of Maurice’s dear departed in his daily life is considerable, the outdoors) that the storytelling feels fresh and affecting. In but it is the paradoxical absence created by the death of his bringing his characters to the brink of death (and past it), Heller wife, Sadie, that Maurice cannot adapt to and which propels speaks soberly to the random perils of everyday living. his night of elegiac remembrances and his plans for thereafter. An exhilarating tale delivered with the pace of a thriller Small-town rivalries and the lasting repercussions of Maurice’s and the wisdom of a grizzled nature guide. childhood pocketing of a valuable gold coin recur throughout the five accounts. His soliloquies about these themes and surrounding events lend the novel a playlike structure and feel. (If Milo O’Shea were still available, the most difficult casting decision could easily be made.) Some supporting characters in Maurice’s life are more vividly drawn than others, and his storytelling tends toward the meandering, but, in his defense,

the tone never wavers over the course of five fine whisky-and- young adult stout toasts, a credit to the steady thread of melancholy woven throughout. Griffin’s portrait of an Irish octogenarian provides a stage for the exploration of guilt, regret, and loss, all in the course of one memorable night.

THE RIVER Heller, Peter Knopf (272 pp.) $25.95 | Mar. 6, 2019 978-0-525-52187-7

Two college friends’ leisurely river trek becomes an ordeal of fire and human malice. For his fourth novel, Heller swaps the post-apocalyptic setting of his previous book, The Dog Stars (2012), for present-day realism—in this case a river in northern Canada where Dartmouth classmates Jack and Wynn have cleared a few weeks for fly-fishing and whitewater canoeing. Jack is the sharp-elbowed scion of a Colorado ranch family, while Wynn is a more easygoing Vermonter—a divide that becomes more stark as the novel progresses—but they share a love of books and the outdoors. They’re so in sync early on that they agree to lose travel time to turn back and warn a couple they’d over- heard arguing that a forest fire is fast approaching. It’s a fateful decision: They discover the woman, Maia, near death and badly injured, apparently by her homicidal husband, Pierre. When Wynn unthinkingly radios Pierre that she’s been found alive, Wynn and Jack realize they’re now targets as well. Heller confidently manages a host of tensions—Jack and Wynn becoming suspicious of each other while watching for Pierre, straining to keep Maia alive, and paddling upriver to reach civilization and escape the nearing blaze. And his pacing is masterful as well,

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 17 BRIDES IN THE SKY CHEER UP, MR. WIDDICOMBE Holladay, Cary James, Evan Swallow Press/Ohio Univ. (216 pp.) Atria (288 pp.) $18.95 paper | Jan. 14, 2019 $26.00 | Mar. 26, 2019 978-0-8040-1204-1 978-1-5011-9961-5

In unsentimental but intimate detail, The Widdicombes work through a a collection of stories peels back stereo- family epidemic of almost life-threaten- types about the lives of women in the ing anomie in their elaborate summer past. From the Old West to the 1960s, house on Bainbridge Island. female lives that might be deemed ordi- Spend a head-spinning summer with nary are revealed as rich and complex. the Widdicombes and their entourage Holladay (The Deer in the Mirror, 2013, etc.) focuses in these in James’ gleefully over-the-top satiric debut. Carol, the lady of eight stories and one novella on girls and women trying to find the house, is set on becoming a New Age Mrs. Ramsay, host- their places in a world that often treats them as insignificant. A ing artists and writers in the mansion she is redecorating in a few of the stories have contemporary settings, but most take “bohemian Paris meets California cool meets Pacific Northwest place decades or more than a century in the past. In spare but Casual” style, angling for a feature in a décor magazine, winning evocative prose, Holladay skillfully and subtly re-creates those instead comparisons to a “hotel waiting room...in Liberace’s earlier times while making clear their parallels to the present. cerebral cortex.” Her design process relies on the principles The novella, A Thousand Stings, is the story of 8-year-old Shir- of her New Age guru and houseguest, Gracie Sloane. “Source ley, striving to make sense of the impact of the 1967 Summer of Energy requires imagistic fuel to do the daily work of manifest- Love on her small town, from a hippie minister who upends the ing....It is to this end we pin our hopes and dreams to our Vision family church to the blossoming of her older sister. In “Opera- Boards.” Gracie is holed up at the Widdicombes’ palazzo to tor,” set in 1954, a young woman working as a telephone opera- work on The Habit of Wildness, a book that recommends “feral tor and hoping to marry up tells us the surprising tale of what romping” and “whimsical savagery.” The Widdicombe patriarch happens when she takes it upon herself to respond to an emer- is a foulmouthed former tennis pro with so little to occupy his gency call about a violent incident. Some of the best of these time he is nearly suicidal, until he mines his predicament for a stories are set in the American West. In the title story, in 1854, self-help book of his own. Son Christopher, home from Rhode young sisters Kate and Olivia sell their parents’ Virginia farm Island School of Design for the summer, is suffering even more after marrying a pair of brothers who persuade them to join a deeply than his parents as his parody landscapes turn out to wagon train headed for Oregon—a harrowing journey with be actually gorgeous, and his cruel performance piece, “Son,” unexpected consequences. “Comanche Queen” is based on results in unprecedented familial closeness. As their personal the true story of Cynthia Parker, who was captured by Coman- assistant, Michelle, puts it, “When all the Widdicombes were ches as a child, found 24 years later in 1860, and returned (with in one room, united in antic chatter, [it’s] as though they were one of her children) to her white family. Parker spent the rest playing out scenes from an old screwball comedy.” Contributing of her life trying to get back to the Comanches; Holladay tells to this effect are another houseguest, a drunk, pill-popping lout her heartbreaking story from the point of view of her well- who pretends to be a screenwriter, and their gardener, Marvel- intentioned but benighted white relatives. “Interview with Etta ous Matthews. The latter is a longtime disciple of Gracie Sloane Place, Sweetheart of the Sundance Kid” is just that, a fictional who is about to see his own Vision Board really come through. talk with the mysterious woman who was the companion of Never a dull moment. outlaw Harry Longabaugh. Holladay paints her at age 92, salty and humorous, recounting a startlingly different version of the deaths of Longabaugh and Robert Parker, aka Butch Cassidy. THE ACCIDENTAL FURTHER In a line that speaks for all the women in these stories, Place ADVENTURES OF THE beseeches her interviewer, “Write it with me in the middle, not 100-YEAR-OLD MAN off to the side.” Jonasson, Jonas Women and girls often overlooked by history are given Trans. by Willson-Broyles, Rachel compelling voices in this collection. Morrow/HarperCollins (448 pp.) $15.99 paper | Jan. 15, 2019 978-0-06-283855-1

The hero (of sorts) has aged a year in this wildly implausible sequel to The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Win dow and Disappeared (2012). Reaching age 101 hasn’t slowed Allan Karlsson, who travels from continent to continent with his thieving friend, Julius

18 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 19 Jonsson. A hot air balloon becomes untethered in Indone- her sell designer coffins at a travel and tourism trade fair. Allan sia, and the gentlemen are soon afloat in the Indian Ocean. A discovers Twitter and Facebook, Julius plants asparagus with an North Korean bulk carrier rescues them on its way to pick up assist from Merkel, and a bad guy in Africa learns the hard way four illicit kilos of enriched uranium in Madagascar. The ship’s what lions like to eat. captain takes them back to North Korea, where they meet Kim Delightful nonsense that will lift a lot of spirits. Jong-un and convince him that Allan is a nuclear weapons expert who invented “hetisostat pressure” and that Julius is an asparagus expert. Allan gives a North Korean engineer a formula for MIRACLE CREEK vitamin C and smelling salts, or possibly toothpaste and bleach. Kim, Angie When Kim kicks the Swedes out of the country, Allan picks up Sarah Crichton/Farrar, Straus a briefcase with the uranium in it—easy to do, since all North and Giroux (368 pp.) Korean briefcases look alike. Allan considers giving the ura- $27.00 | Apr. 16, 2019 nium to Donald Trump until they meet and Allan decides that 978-0-374-15602-2 the U.S. president is “awfully close to exploding all on his own” and “should be diagnosed with something.” Then he writes a A Byzantine web of lies surrounds a letter on three napkins to Angela Merkel, who comes across as fatal fire at an unusual treatment facility the sanest person in the book. Early on, Allan obtains a “black in this taut legal drama. tablet” that shows news, music, and naked ladies. Thus he Kim, a former trial lawyer who turns learns more than Trump, who learns all that’s worth knowing 50 the same week her debut novel is from Fox. Allan and Julius meet a grocer/coffin-maker and help published, does not make it easy on the reviewer charged with

20 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A crime slowly unmasks a small town’s worth of resentment and yearning. the other americans

describing her book. This is a complicated and unusual story— Guerraoui’s diner; the widowed Maryam Guerraoui; and even though when you are reading it, it will all seem smooth as silk. the deceased Driss Guerraoui. Nora’s parents fled political The Yoos, an immigrant family from Korea, own a hyperbaric upheaval in Casablanca in 1981, roughly a decade before Lalami oxygen therapy tank in a town called Miracle Creek, Virginia. left Morocco herself. In the U.S., Maryam says, “Above all, I was (In a characteristically wry aside, we learn that “Miracle Creek surprised by the talk shows, the way Americans loved to confess didn’t look like a place where miracles took place, unless you on television.” The author, who holds a doctorate in linguistics, counted the miracle of people living there for years with- is precise with language. She notices the subtle ways that words out going insane from boredom.”) HBOT treatment, which on a diner menu become dated, a match to the décor: “The involves sitting in a chamber breathing pure, pressurized oxy- plates were gray. The water glasses were scratched. The gumball gen, is believed to be effective in remediating autism and male machine was empty.” Nuanced characters drive this novel, and infertility, and those conditions are what define the group of each voice gets its variation: Efraín sarcastic, Nora often argu- people who are in the “submarine” when a fire, clearly set by mentative, Salma, the good Guerraoui daughter, speaks with an arsonist, causes it to explode. Two people are killed; others the coiled fury of the duty-bound: “You’re never late, never sick, survive paralyzed or with amputations. The novel opens as the never rude.” The ending is a bit pat, but Lalami expertly mines murder trial of the mother of a boy who died in the fire begins. an American penchant for rendering the “other.” As we come to understand the pressures she has been under as A crime slowly unmasks a small town’s worth of resent- the single mother of a special needs child, it does not seem out ment and yearning. of the question that she is responsible. But with all the other characters lying so desperately about what they were doing that evening, it can’t be as simple as that. With so many complica-

tions and loose ends, one of the miracles of the novel is that young adult the author ties it all together and arrives at a deeply satisfying— though not easy or sentimental—ending. Intricate plotting and courtroom theatrics, combined with moving insight into parenting special needs children and the psychology of immigrants, make this book both a learning experience and a page-turner. Should be huge.

THE OTHER AMERICANS Lalami, Laila Pantheon (320 pp.) $25.95 | Mar. 26, 2019 978-1-5247-4715-2

A hit-and-run in the Mojave Desert dismantles a family and puts a structur- ally elegant mystery in motion. In her fourth book, Lalami is in thrilling command of her narrative gifts, reminding readers why The Moor’s Account (2014) was a Pulit- zer finalist. Here, she begins in the voice of Nora Guerraoui, a nascent jazz composer, who recalls: “My father was killed on a spring night four years ago, while I sat in the corner booth of a new bistro in Oakland.” She was drinking champagne at the time. Nora’s old middle school band mate, Jeremy Gorecki, an Iraq War veteran beset with insomnia, narrates the next chapter. He hears about the hit-and-run as he reports to work as a deputy sheriff. The third chapter shifts to Efraín Aceves, an undocumented laborer who stops in the dark to adjust his bicycle chain and witnesses the lethal impact. Naturally, he wants no entanglement with law enforcement. With each chapter, the story baton passes seamlessly to a new or returning narrator. Readers hear from Erica Coleman, a police detective with a complacent husband and troubled son; Anderson Baker, a bowling-alley proprietor irritated over shared parking with the

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 21 THE PROMISE committed Charlotte’s beloved sister, Phoebe, who suffers OF ELSEWHERE from what today might be classified as bipolar disorder, to Leithauser, Brad Goldengrove, an asylum for the “curable insane.” What’s a shel- Knopf (352 pp.) tered, finishing school–educated debutante to do? Follow Nelly $26.95 | Mar. 29, 2019 Bly’s notorious example and infiltrate Goldengrove under an 978-0-525-65503-9 assumed identity, that of a suicidal vagrant, while her parents think she’s off on a six-week sojourn in Newport, Rhode Island. A Michigan art-history professor sets The novel’s backstory unspools in flashbacks, revealing that off on a journey to see the world’s finest Charlotte has a crush on Henry Sidwell, the son of her father’s architecture and perhaps forget some of chief investor and creditor. The present-time action focuses on life’s trials in this keen-eyed comic work. Charlotte’s search for Phoebe while chronicling life in a men- Five months ago, Louie Hake’s sec- tal institution, which, though progressive for 1888, seems to ond marriage collapsed after his wife, a third-grade teacher and assign treatment regimens according to class. Goldengrove is amateur actress, was arrested for “gross indecency” with her controlled by the Sidwell family, and the branch least concerned director in a Honda Odyssey. Three months ago, Louie learned with inmate well-being has been left in charge, with the result he had an illness that could lead to blindness. So in June 2018, that the asylum’s mission morphs from therapies (albeit some the 43-year-old “untenured fixture” at a third-rate Michigan very primitive ones) to contracting out the patients as slave college embarks on his own odyssey, “the Journey of His Life,” labor. Although insights about the limited choices afforded aiming to view great buildings in Italy, Turkey, India, and Japan. women of all classes, and suitably gothic plot twists, keep us But Louie, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 10 years reading, too many improbabilities disrupt the narrative flow. earlier, is sidetracked in ways small and large, perhaps because The Smiths are portrayed as overanxious yet allow Charlotte he has stopped taking his lithium (while still taking Ativan, to embark unchaperoned (and without luggage) on a supposed Wellbutrin, and trazodone). After Rome, he breaks his itiner- cross-country journey and make no effort to inquire about ary and heads to London, site of his first honeymoon, where he Phoebe’s welfare. Since suspense is plentiful there is no need to almost sleeps with a woman alone on her first honeymoon after postpone certain disclosures, such as the identity of Charlotte’s being jilted by her fiance but persuaded by the cad’s mother (a fiance. Withholding information is particularly problematic travel agent!) to take the trip. Following London he seeks out in the first-person narrative of a protagonist as self-reflective cathedrals of ice among Greenland’s glaciers while staying with as Charlotte. The denouement, with its concessions to period strange children and their combative father in a dilapidated inn. conventionality, removes any hope that this novel will deliver Leithauser (The Art Student’s War, 2009, etc.) shifts affectingly on its feminist leanings. from present-day comic encounters and observations to fraught A gripping melodrama that may leave readers feeling memories (though how reliable sifted through so many meds?), gaslighted. from Louie’s first experience of transcendence at age 9, in the delightful opening, and again in Ely Cathedral, to first love and various brushes with shame and failure. Leithauser, a poet, INFINITE DETAIL novelist, and MacArthur Fellow, recalls Stanley Elkin, Wilfrid Maughan, Tim Sheed, and Richard Ford in this complex anatomy of a midlife MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux crisis and then some. (384 pp.) An exceptional glimpse of the human comedy marked $16.00 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 by sometimes-dazzling prose. 978-0-374-17541-2

When a young iconoclast unleashes WOMAN 99 a destructive algorithm, a group of vaga- Macallister, Greer bonds in Bristol struggles to come to Sourcebooks Landmark (360 pp.) terms with the world that follows. $25.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 You never know quite what you’re 978-1-4926-6533-5 going to get with journalist Maughan’s thoughtful dystopian debut novel, which offers a blush of cyberpunk, a shakerful of A young woman sneaks into a Cali- Neal Stephenson, and a dash of Cory Doctorow’s speculative fornia insane asylum to rescue her sister fiction. The book’s time frame is split in half, alternating by in Macallister’s (Girl in Disguise, 2017, chapters. In “Before,” our main protagonist is hacker-turned- etc.) third novel. activist Rushdi Manaan, who’s built an alternative community Charlotte Smith, the 20-year-old in Bristol, England, called the Croft, completely cut off from daughter of a San Francisco shipping the internet and outside communication—mostly artists doing magnate, is about to be thrust, for her parents’ convenience, their thing. He’s gone to New York to visit his boyfriend, Chris, into a marriage she did not choose; the groom’s identity is but he’s also working on an algorithm that could change the not immediately revealed. Arguably worse, the Smiths have world, for better or worse. In “After,” the Croft is barely holding

22 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A woman seeking solitude finds much more than she bargained for on a windswept Scottish island. while you sleep

together after a group of cyberterrorists unleashes what they named Edward is refreshing, realistic, and very sexy. Merritt cer- call a “reboot,” completely destroying every network, every cel- tainly knows how to build suspense and dread even if readers of lular device, and essentially switching off the internet itself. The the genre will find a few of the elements familiar. occupants of the Croft are a pretty ragtag group by this point, Oodles of atmosphere largely make up for a bit of pre- connected to the past only by artist Anika, who bridges the gap dictability in this gothic chiller. between stories. Elsewhere are Grids, who runs the black market, Tyrone, who trades in old music cassettes, and Mary, who sees ghosts through her glasses, although she’s unable to com- TINY AMERICANS municate with them. As a backlash against the connected world Murphy, Devin and an indictment of internet culture, it’s a terrifying scenario Harper Perennial/HarperCollins rife with terrorist attacks and a movement whose mantra reads (256 pp.) in part, “With zero bandwidth opportunity is our only weapon.” $16.99 paper | Mar. 12, 2019 The story is a bit fractured in structure, but the characters are 978-0-06-285607-4 compelling, and it’s worth reaching the end just to find out how Maughan wraps up this Byzantine puzzle box. A grim portrait of the forces that An original and engaging work of kitchen-sink dystopia. derail an American family whose members find that forgiveness might take much of a lifetime. WHILE YOU SLEEP By the time the three Thurber sib- Merritt, Stephanie lings are growing up in western New York state in the late 1970s,

Pegasus (400 pp.) young adult $25.95 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-64313-005-7

A woman seeking solitude finds much more than she bargained for— maybe even a ghost or two—on a windswept Scottish island. Connecticut artist Zoe Adams, fleeing a failing marriage, has rented the remote, recently renovated 19th-century McBride mansion in Scotland for a month. She’s eager to settle in and paint the beautiful landscape just outside her door. Landlords Mick and Kaye are welcoming, but at the pub they also own, elderly local bookseller Charles—who’s a bit obsessed with McBride lore—tells her that the house has quite a history, one that Mick would prefer was kept on the down low. Her first night is a doozy: After falling into an exhausted sleep, she dreams of a shadow lover that brings her to new heights of passion and glimpses a dark figure on the beach looking up at the house. Then there’s the persistent singing—a haunting, achingly sad rendition of a song Kaye sang at the bar. Most people would have been out the door and back on a plane home forthwith, but not our intrepid heroine. Zoe blames the strange happenings on fatigue and digs her heels in. Of course, the odd occurrences escalate (do they ever), and she learns from Charles that the McBride history is very strange indeed: It turns out that the man who built the house and his bride, Ailsa, were into the occult, and the circumstances surrounding her death and that of her little boy were suspect. As the danger escalates, it becomes difficult for Zoe to tell the difference between dreams and reality. And, of course, there’s a storm coming. Merritt, who also writes as S.J. Parris (Conspiracy, 2016, etc.), fully immerses readers in her richly imagined setting and hints that there’s much more to the events leading up to Zoe’s trip. The author’s strenu- ous attempt to counter the unfortunate trope of the hysterical woman is laudable, and Zoe comes to relate to the misunder- stood Ailsa. Zoe’s flirtation with a much younger schoolteacher

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 23 lyndsay faye’s new thriller “throbs with menace as it hums with wit”

In Lyndsay Faye’s arresting new novel, The Paragon the region’s economic woes have bred poverty, toughness, and Hotel (Jan. 8), a young white gun moll named “Nobody” Al- cruelty. Their parents’ drinking leads to “fights that ripped us ice James speeds from New York on a westbound train, clean of our flesh and left only raw notes of nerve ends,” says Jamie, the only daughter. The boys, Lewis and Connor, play a bleeding from a bullet wound. She’s nearing death’s sta- “violent, cruel sort of football.” The mother, Catrin, is an artist

tion outside Oregon when a black Photo Ty courtesy Anna whose “sadness haunted her.” Her husband, Terrance, decides Pullman porter named Max Bur- the only way he can save himself and the kids from his alcohol- ton takes mercy, spiriting her to ism is to leave. In chapters spanning the years 1978 to 2018 and Portland’s only all-black hotel for narrated mostly by the siblings, Murphy (The Boat Runner, 2017, etc.) takes disconnected snapshots of lives scarred by brutality, care and convalescence. broken marriages, loneliness, and misfortune. Lewis goes to sea It’s 1921, and, of course, her for years, with the Navy and as a merchant mariner. Connor presence draws more than medi- glimpses domestic normalcy, but birds keep smashing into his cal attention. picture windows. Jamie’s husband returns from military service Told by Alice in the form of “a badly wounded and then they lose a baby right after her birth. love letter” to an unnamed recipi- Terrance falls in love with a woman who is bipolar, and he’s elec- trocuted while working, one of four nasty accidents that befall ent, The Paragon Hotel is a “double family members. He hopes he can use the financial settlement helix” of a novel, Faye says, inter- to persuade his children to visit him. There are gaps of several weaving two harrowing yet hope- Lyndsay Faye years between chapters and little to link them but brief refer- ful narratives that vigorously interrogate racial violence ences to a sibling or parent. The fragmentation is fitting but and oppression: Alice’s origin story, set against the rise results in something that can feel more like a short story collection than a novel. of the Sicilian Mafia in Harlem, and her Oregon story, set The structure is challenging, and Murphy has a ten- against the rise of the KKK. dency to overwrite in fraught moments, a risk that comes “Part of this will disturb you,” from emotional honesty and trying to make the bleak Faye writes. “Whether it’ll be eloquent. the parts you were a part of, so to speak, or the parts that are new— THE SELECTED WORKS OF well, I suppose I’ll just ask after ABDULLAH THE COSSACK you’re finished reading.” Naqvi, H.M. Fastidiously researched, rol- Black Cat/Grove (320 pp.) licking, and profound, The Para $16.00 paper | Mar. 12, 2019 978-0-8021-2894-2 gon Hotel is “a riveting multilevel thriller of race, sex, and mob vio- A larger-than-life character whose lence that throbs with menace as musings, history, and adventures ani- it hums with wit,” Kirkus writes. mate a rich, complex city. “I don’t necessarily write Overweight and anxious, 70 years crime novels,” says Faye, multi- old, unmarried, and afflicted with terri- Edgar Award–nominated author of ble hemorrhoids, Abdullah, known as the Cossack, the middle The Gods of Gotham son of five, has grown from a sensitive child through a wastrel and Jane Steele. “I write novels about self-sacrifice and love youth into a self-educated, self-styled academic now burdened and courage,” she says. “What would you do for someone with a sense of mortality. His home is Currachee, or Kara- if you were in a position to help them? How much would chi, the city in Pakistan, more specifically Sunset Lodge, the you give up? And what kind of love does it take for some- sizable house that was his childhood home, now shared with one to say, I don’t care how dangerous this is for me, I’m brother Babu, Babu’s wife, and their two children—the Chil- doos—whom Abdullah adores. Loquacious verging on garru- going to risk it because you’re more important? All of my lous, Abdullah narrates this self-mocking, wildly discursive, and novels are about that.” —M.L. often comic narrative dotted inexhaustibly with footnotes and archly grandiose chapter titles, like “On Negotiating Ontologi- Megan Labrise is a staff writer and co-host of the Fully Booked cal Panic (or Down & Out).” From the welter of observations podcast The Paragon Hotel and digressions on poetry, religion, hotels, morality, metaphys- . received a starred review in the ics, digestion, and much more, multiple narrative strands slowly Oct. 15, 2018, issue. emerge. A jazz trumpeter nicknamed the Caliph of Cool, one of Abdullah’s acquaintances, asks Abdullah to take his grandson,

24 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Bosco, under his wing and build his character. Simultaneously, THE LIBRARY OF LOST Abdullah makes a new friend, Jugnu, who, despite her gangster- AND FOUND boss protector, becomes the object of Abdullah’s amorous aspi- Patrick, Phaedra rations. And then there’s the family, several members of whom Park Row Books (352 pp.) are in dispute with Abdullah over the future of Sunset Lodge. $24.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 A love story, a caper, a family dust-up, a farce—prizewinning 978-0-7783-6935-6 Pakistani writer Naqvi’s (Home Boy, 2009) second novel offers all these things, yet they matter less than its lovingly evoked A mousy, lovelorn librarian uncovers milieu, the uniquely vibrant neighborhoods and characters, cul- her family’s well-kept secrets, finding ture, history, architecture, and aromas of the city. herself in the process. Infused with the spirit of Tristram Shandy, a sophisti- Martha Storm has spent her life in cated shaggy dog story for those happy to take the slow the English coastal town of Sandshift, road and its many detours. catering to the needs and whims of others. The library’s denizens, the library manager, even her own sister, Lilian, take shameless advantage of her. In her younger days, Martha, THE WOLF AND now middle-aged, let the love of her life slip away, choosing THE WATCHMAN to move in with and care for her aging parents. They’re gone Natt och Dag, Niklas now, as is her eccentric grandma Zelda, the only person who Atria (384 pp.) ever seemed to understand and protect her. Zelda also encour- $27.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 aged her gift for storytelling, which Martha has long since

978-1-5011-9677-5 young adult

In his debut novel, Natt och Dag examines the effects of a brutal murder on those who investigate it—and explores the psychological causes for the crime. Stockholm, 1793: Sweden is still recovering from an unpopular war with Russia; some veterans, like watchman Mickel Cardell, lost limbs in the slaughter, and he was one of the lucky ones. Cardell hardly feels lucky though, nursing a fierce rage that simmers below the surface and finding solace only in drinking to excess. When Cardell is summoned by two children to examine a body they’ve found floating in putrid waters, he can barely be bothered, but the corpse, disturbingly mutilated, haunts him. Together with lawyer Cecil Winge, who is measuring his life in days since being diagnosed with consumption and trying to stay above the rampant political corruption that is flooding the police department, Cardell doggedly pursues every lead to find the monster at the heart of this case. Along the way, he meets a desperate widow, lately escaped from the cruel fate of a work- house; learns of a secret society of wealthy men who are offered a place to indulge their perverted desires in return for charitable donations; and picks savage fights to slake his anger at the way the world treats the poor and the downtrodden. Winge brings a certain intellectual precision to the investigation as he, too, struggles to keep his demons at bay. Natt och Dag writes sensory, horror-inducing descriptions of the lives and deaths of the poor inhabitants of Stockholm. At the same time, his characters almost spring off the page, they are so human and so fully realized. Natt och Dag doesn’t apologize for human nature, nor does he excuse our crimes and basest cruelties, but his deep dive into the dark corners of our psyches, as well as this harsh time in history, is both chilling and thought-provoking. Relentless, well-written, and nearly impossible to put down.

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 25 abandoned. One day, a book turns up with a curious inscrip- far-fetched conceit. There are also similarities between the tion and the unmistakable suggestion that her beloved Nana thematic preoccupations of the individual works. Pinsker’s may still be alive. Though Lilian pooh-poohs the discovery, characters are often loners dedicated to idiosyncratic artis- Martha finds the gumption to get to the bottom of the mystic pursuits—like fiddling in space or building scale models tery. Like the author’s previous novels (Rise and Shine, Benedict of murder houses. They are stubborn adherents to codes of Stone, 2017, etc.), this one features a timid protagonist who authenticity that their worlds have abandoned, and the stories’ must learn self-assertion. But here, charm is in short sup- plots tend to center around their revolts against conventional ply. Much of the action is predictable, the dialogue stilted: (or fantastical) social norms. Populated by anarchists, punks, Children don’t sound anything like children, and the library survivalists, luddites, drifters, and rock-and-roll queers, Pin- assistant, Suki, is given to unlikely malapropisms. The author sker’s stories romp through their conceits with such winning juxtaposes scenes from Martha’s childhood with the contem- charm that even the less successfully cohesive among them porary narrative, and her controlling, emotionally remote delight with their nuanced detail. In spite of being hampered father comes off as a cardboard villain. Everything about this slightly by a tendency to invest more in the worldbuilding book is old-fashioned, so when the author inserts a couple of than in the culmination of plot, Pinsker has delivered a sturdy contemporary notes—a subplot involving a lesbian couple; a collection in the speculative tradition of Ursula K. Le Guin reference to Spotify—it feels jarring. The book also goes on a or Kelly Link but with her own indomitable voice front and bit—the eleventh-hour plot turn involving the old fisherman center. Siegfried could have been condensed or cut. An auspicious start to what promises to be one wild ride Though the novel celebrates libraries and storytelling, of a literary career. the story it tells is not very satisfying. DAISY JONES & THE SIX SOONER OR LATER Reid, Taylor Jenkins EVERYTHING FALLS INTO Ballantine (368 pp.) THE SEA $27.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 Pinsker, Sarah 978-1-5247-9862-8 Small Beer Press (304 pp.) $17.00 paper | Mar. 19, 2019 What ever happened to Daisy Jones 978-1-61873-155-5 and The Six, the iconic 1970s rock band that topped the charts and sold out stadi- In her debut collection, widely ums? It’s always been a mystery why the lauded author/musician Pinsker zips musicians suddenly disbanded. through road trips, space ships, specula- Reid (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn tive futures, and parallel presents with Hugo, 2017, etc.) takes an unusual approach to dissecting the stories that are equal parts hard-wired sci-fi theory and hard- breakup of the fictional rock band by offering a narrative traveling rock-and-roll attitude. composed solely of transcribed interviews. At the center of The 13 short stories that make up this collection range the documentary-style novel is the relationship between lead from near novella length—“Our Lady of the Open Road,” singer Billy Dunne, recovering addict and aspiring family man, “Wind Will Rove,” and the phenomenal “And Then There and sexy bad girl Daisy Jones, whose soulful voice and com- Were (N-One)”—to the very brief—“The Sewell Home for the plex lyrics turn out to have been the missing ingredient The Temporally Displaced,” which clocks in at a little under three Six needed. When Daisy joins the band, the group catapults pages. Their subject matter is equally diverse. In “A Stretch of to fame, but not without cost. She refuses to simply fall in line Highway Two Lanes Wide,” the main character’s mangled arm and let Billy make the artistic decisions. In doing this, not only has been replaced with a “Brain-Computer Interface” pros- does she infuriate the band leader, she also sets an example for thetic which believes itself to be a road somewhere in Colo- other members who are only too happy to start voicing their rado; in “The Low Hum of Her,” a family undertakes an Ellis own demands. Over time the tension between Billy and Daisy Island–esque immigration accompanied by an AI mechani- grows increasingly more complicated, threatening to take its cal replicate of their departed Bubbe hidden in the steamer toll on Billy’s home life. He is fiercely loyal to his wife, Camila, trunk. With stories that jump from divergent pasts to possible while also being fully cognizant of his weaknesses—a torturous futures and include main characters of all age ranges, gen- combination for Billy. Other band members have their own ders, and social backgrounds, it would be easy for the book to embroilments, and Daisy’s bestie, disco diva Simone Jackson, become disjointed. However, Pinsker’s undeniable talent for enhances the cast, but the crux of the story is about how the familiarizing characters caught in deeply unfamiliar situations addition of Daisy to The Six forever changes the chemistry of (a treehouse that hides an alien race’s architectural salvation; the band, for better and worse. There is great buildup around an 18th-century seaport town beset by sirens; folk musicians answering the big question of what happened at their final con- on a generational star ship whose destination they will not live cert together, though the revelation is a letdown. Further, the to see) brings a uniting element of empathy to even the most documentary-style writing detracts from the storytelling; it

26 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Guatemalan exile Rey Rosa borrows elements from his own life in a short novel of futuristic alienation. chaos, a fable

often feels gimmicky, as though the author is trying too hard for CHAOS, A FABLE a fresh and clever approach. This is a shame because her past Rey Rosa, Rodrigo novels, traditionally told, have been far more engaging. Trans. by Gray, Jeffrey Despite some drawbacks, an insightful story that will AmazonCrossing (200 pp.) appeal to readers nostalgic for the 1970s. $14.95 | Feb. 26, 2019 978-1-5420-9035-3

TOMORROW THERE WILL Guatemalan exile Rey Rosa (Dust on BE SUN Her Tongue, 1992) borrows elements from Reinhardt, Dana his own life in a short novel of futuristic Pamela Dorman/Viking (288 pp.) alienation. $26.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 On leaving his homeland, Rey Rosa immigrated to the U.S. 978-0-525-55796-8 but then departed for Morocco, where he came into the orbit of Paul Bowles, his first translator. Bowles turns up in this novel as A secluded beach, luxurious villa, John Field, “the American artist and critic who’d spent the last discreet servants, and bottomless mar- half of his life in Tangier.” Field has befriended many people in garitas ought to spell a week of paradise his time, among them a Mexican writer who, many years after for Jenna Carlson, her family, and friends. Field’s death, is enlisted by old friend Mohammed Zhrouni Yet secret phone calls are just the first to help him tell a story he has recorded on the now ancient sign of trouble. medium of the cassette—but also to decipher the contents of

Vacationing in beautiful Puerto Vallarta to celebrate her a memory card. Tapes and card help provide a circumstantial young adult husband Peter’s 50th birthday, Jenna is eager to have some time portrait of Field and Mohammed but more of Mohammed’s to relax with her teenage daughter, Clementine, and maybe young son, Abdelkrim, a genius who—a crow tells Mohammed, finish her currently stalled YA novel. What with her bout of for this is, after all, a fable—“has a special...destiny in store for stage 1 breast cancer and Peter’s intense work masterminding him.” Mohammed wonders if the crow said “spatial” instead of the online ordering app for his startup, Boychick Bagels, it’s “special,” and there’s a reason for that. Abdelkrim, for his part, been a difficult year. The Carlsons are joined by Peter’s business fulfills both prophecies, though in a way that is perhaps not very partner, Solly Solomon, his second wife, Ingrid, their 5-year- realistic—as noted, this is a fable, so that’s to be forgiven—and old son, Ivan, and Malcolm, Solly’s 17-year-old son from his that also pointedly criticizes the way in which Muslims are per- first marriage to Maureen, who was one of Jenna’s best friends ceived in post–9/11 America. “Time does not exist,” Rey Rosa until Solly dumped her. A bit intimidated by Ingrid’s youth and repeatedly says, but yet it passes: Abdelkrim’s dream to become easy glamour, Jenna dreads having to deal with her trendy food an American and, more than that, an American astronaut is obsessions and her weird son. Now that Ingrid has dropped thwarted, but he manages to find his way into space anyway jewelry designing for YA book writing, Jenna’s also afraid she’ll even as Field enters eternity “a week before the Americans be forced to read Ingrid’s latest draft. When she’s not dodging brought down Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.” Rey Rosa’s Ingrid, Jenna is spying on Clementine, hoping to find clues in story tackles questions of religion, anomie, and, ultimately, her texts to her boyfriend, Sean, as to how far their relationship what the authorities would deem terrorism: Asked whether he has gone, and Jenna’s suspicions ratchet further up when Mal- has become an anarchist, Abdelkrim answers, “Antiarms more colm enters the picture. Reinhardt deftly manipulates the villa than anything else,” for which he has just the remedy. in paradise into a gothic labyrinth, and Jenna’s curiosity propels Allusive and metaphorical, with a nicely unpredictable her into secrets perhaps best left alone. Why did Malcolm have close that offers a flicker of hope for humankind. to switch schools in his senior year? Who is Peter taking mysterious calls from at dinner? Is Solly having another affair? And who is the beautiful woman in the next villa? THE ALTRUISTS A tense mystery driven by maternal and wifely anxieties. Ridker, Andrew Viking (320 pp.) $26.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-0-525-52271-3

A Midwestern family struggles to rewrite its flawed history. The proverbial road paved with good intentions runs through the quintes- sentially Middle American city of St. Louis in this acute debut novel. After nearly 20 years on the faculty of wealthy private Danforth University, Arthur Alter remains a disgruntled non–tenure

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 27 track engineering professor. Two years a widower, at age 65 he’s near summer’s close the swimmers arrive upon a strange shoal entangled in a joyless relationship with a colleague, a German far from shore and, while exploring it, Mrs. Abel somehow dis- history professor young enough to be his daughter. His children, appears. Twenty-ish years later, the narrator—now a successful introverted Ethan and generous Maggie, still mourn the passing novelist who lives with his wife and two daughters in Oregon— of their mother, Francine, a family and couples therapist, while is reconstructing that summer, trying to get closer to who he they find themselves adrift in their own lives. Ethan’s deep in was, and who Mrs. Abel was, and what happened that night debt in Brooklyn after having left his consulting job, and Mag- on the water. To do so, he pours over the artifacts left behind gie works at an assortment of undemanding odd jobs for her by that time—photographs and artworks frequent the text, as Queens neighbors. With his wife’s income gone and his teach- do letters to and from his ex-girlfriend. He floats in a sensory ing load slashed, Arthur, notorious for his miserliness, now faces deprivation tank, studying “the past, the future, [and] the hypo- the prospect of losing his heavily mortgaged home in an upscale thetical...hidden beneath the surface” of his thoughts. He con- suburb. His financial bailout scheme involves inviting his chil- sults Rilke, Burchfield, and Chekhov, among many others. And, dren home for a long weekend and inveigling them to part most significantly, he writes—thus creating out of life’s artifacts with a portion of their inheritance from Francine, a generous a new artifact, this book, which serves as keepsake for both Mrs. bequest she bestowed on them while intentionally bypassing Abel and the narrator’s youth, referring eyes back upon them Arthur. The younger Alters’ return goes anything but the way across the years. Arthur plans or the children expect. But amid the tragicomic Part page-turner and part aesthetic treatise, Rock’s misadventures that befall each of the family members during (Spells, 2017, etc.) latest is, like the currents of the Great that visit, Ridker reveals how the roots of Arthur’s tightfisted- Lakes, subtle and haunted, deeply complex and “quietly... ness lie in a well-intentioned, three decades–old effort to apply sinister”; his readers, like his swimmers, ought to know his engineering skills to solving the sanitation problems of rural “that the currents of the subsurface are likely to be moving.” Zimbabwe. Ridker meticulously peels away the scabs that have grown over the wounds of the surviving Alters, laying bare, with compassion and piercing wit, the long-simmering antagonisms CRUCIBLE that haunt both father and children. At the same time, he gently Rollins, James hints at a way forward for this decidedly imperfect, but oddly Morrow/HarperCollins (448 pp.) appealing, family. $28.99 | Jan. 22, 2019 A painfully honest, but tender, examination of how love 978-0-06-238178-1 goes awry in the places it should flourish. No one expects the Spanish Inquisi- tion. Especially when there’s AI involved THE NIGHT SWIMMERS in the brouhaha. Rock, Peter Blame it on Umberto Eco: For every Soho (272 pp.) one, soaring Name of the Rose, there are $25.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 a dozen books of Da Vinci Code depths, 978-1-64129-000-5 with medieval voodoo tangled up with modern steely-jawed heroes, priests and demons, international espionage, and all the “Part of my pleasure of swimming in rest. Rollins (The Bone Labyrinth, 2015, etc.) has a corner on part open water, especially at night, is that it of this market with his Sigma Force franchise, in which steely- makes me afraid.” jawed Cmdr. Gray Pierce and his sidekicks stalk the world In the summer of 1994, our unnamed searching for and neutralizing evildoers. Apparently the bad narrator, a 26-year-old aspiring writer, guys who steal his pregnant S.O. (significant other and/or spe- meets Mrs. Abel, the mysterious young cial operative, as you will) didn’t get the memo that Gray is not widow with whom he voyages by night through the swells and to be trifled with, but then they’re no slouches: They’re bent currents of Lake Michigan. To the narrator, and to the summer on—well, world conquest, maybe, but certainly on getting rid of community on Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, Mrs. Abel is an their enemies, a bunch of witchy women with Ph.D.’s and femi- enigma: She’d been married to Mr. Abel, whose name she wears nist ideas who hang out in—or under, that is—“the only existing like a keepsake throughout the novel, for less than a month example of a medieval prison in all of Portugal.” Not to be out- before his death, and the cabin that she’s inherited is so sparsely done in the subterranean department, the bad guys, who wear decorated that everything in it—her husband’s now-scentless priestly collars and veils and all but are still whiz-kid hackers, clothes, a wooden bird carved by a friend, a painting by Charles have a clubhouse underneath Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris E. Burchfield of a forest fire marching toward a cabin—seems to (“Of course, the Crucible would pick such a spot”), while Gray possess, in the narrator’s eyes, the significance of an artifact, of and his cohort tootle around on the D.C. Metro and suchlike objects kept because they serve as mementos of missing people venues assembling the wherewithal to go kick clerical butt, real- or missing times. By swimming together at night, Mrs. Abel and time and virtual. Chopsocky, MRI scans, tumbling helicopters, the narrator build a secret relationship out of their shared pas- incunabula, grimoires, USB-C cables—Rollins pulls out all the sion—but the relationship ends prematurely when one night stops in a tale that hints at not just Eco, but also Stieg Larsson in

28 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A debut novelist finds that his book has been acquired by Jackie O. the editor

making one of its principals a brilliant young woman program- THE EDITOR mer who is probably better suited to the Castile of El Cid than Rowley, Steven Capitol Hill but still knows how to use smart machines the right Putnam (320 pp.) way. Or does she? It depends on which side of the Witch Ham- $27.00 | Apr. 2, 2019 mer one falls.... 978-0-525-53796-0 Another mindless entertainment to fill time better spent with Monty Python—or Indiana Jones. A debut novelist finds that his book has been acquired by Jackie O. Rowley (Lily and the Octopus, 2016) BABY OF THE FAMILY likes a shot of fantasy with his fiction— Roosevelt, Maura last time it was a malignant sea creature Dutton (464 pp.) attached to the head of a dachshund, this $28.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 time it’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis at her day job. A young gay 978-1-5247-4317-8 writer named James Smale is sent by his agent to Doubleday to take a meeting about his book, with no advance warning that The great-granddaughter of Eleanor the editor who wants to acquire his manuscript is the former and Franklin writes about members of a first lady. As this novel is already on its way to the screen, one fictional elite family struggling to shape can only hope that the first few scenes come off better on film their individual identities. than they do on paper—here, the brio of the premise is almost When Roger Whitby Jr. dies, his buried under the narrator’s disbelief and awkwardness and flat-

many children from his first three -mar footed jokes, first in the meeting with Jackie, then when he goes young adult riages (family tree provided) discover that he has bequeathed home to share the news with his lover, Daniel. James’ novel, The the little left of the Whitby fortune to his fourth wife’s son, Quarantine, deals with a troubled mother-son relationship; as Nick, whom he adopted. Although the plot is ostensibly about Jackie suspects, it has autobiographical roots. But James’ real inheritance, the older, barely fleshed-out nonheirs are remark- mother is extremely unhappy with being written about, and the ably nonchalant about getting nothing; only Shelley, from two are all but estranged. Mrs. Onassis insists, in her role as edi- marriage No. 3, and Brooke, from No. 2, fear losing the fam- tor, that he go home and deal with this, because he won’t be able ily houses where they were raised and still live, though it seems to fix the ending of his book until he does. So he does go home, unlikely that Nick, unreachable after having participated in an and long-kept family secrets are spilled, and everyone gets very environmental protest gone awry, will be greedy. The true sub- upset. As a result, he apparently fixes The Quarantine, though as ject here, developed through memories of childhoods and mar- much can’t be said for The Editor. riages, is the ambivalent love Nick, Shelley, and Brooke feel for Even if you have Jackie Kennedy—and this is a particu- Roger, who abandoned each differently. By the time the 21-year- larly sensitive and nuanced portrait of her—you still have old Nick eventually shows up at 22-year-old Shelley’s Upper to have a plot. West Side brownstone, she is in a creepy sexual liaison with her new employer, Kamal, a blind Egyptian architect. Nick begins a romance with Kamal’s naïve, intellectual daughter, whom he WOMEN involves in his Occupy Wall Street–type activity. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Mihail in Boston, 37-year-old nurse Brooke wants to keep her Beacon Trans. by Ó Ceallaigh, Philip Hill house for the baby she’s conceived sleeping with a nouveau Other Press (192 pp.) riche Italian-American to avoid acknowledging she might be gay. $15.99 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 Brooke’s disdain for her sex-mate reflects Whitby snobbery and 978-1-59051-954-7 perhaps the author’s—Nick’s pointedly middle-class mother is also portrayed as crassly mercenary compared to Roger’s pre- A young man’s romantic and sexual vious aristocratic wives, while Nick’s lefty friends are beyond exploits are examined from various the pale. Given the Whitby kids’ claims to shun their privileged angles in this novel first published in 1933. advantages, the frequent references to fancy schools and Mar- In the first section of Sebastian’s For( tha’s Vineyard vacations wear thin. The Whitbys increasingly Two Thousand Years, 2017) second novel come across as spoiled, self-absorbed, and ultimately trivial to appear in English, a young Romanian medical student arrives poor rich kids. at a guesthouse in the Alps. He has just completed his exams in Roosevelt knows her terrain, but it remains unclear if Paris and has come to take a rest. Instead, he becomes involved she meant this family portrait to be as unflattering as it is. with three different women at the guesthouse—romantically and sexually—and, all in all, there’s little rest to be had. His name is Stefan Valeriu. In the novel’s second section, time shifts forward and perspective shifts sideways. Valeriu is now narrating—not his own exploits, this time, but the sad situation of a girl he once knew, with “an impoverished, joyless life.” The novel shifts twice

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 29 more after this: First there is a letter to Valeriu from a woman BEFORE SHE KNEW HIM to whom he has apparently proclaimed his love; and, last of all, Swanson, Peter Valeriu returns to the first person to describe an earlier affair Morrow/HarperCollins (320 pp.) with a former acrobat. Sections are titled after the women they $26.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 describe: Émilie, Maria, Arabela, and so on. But even though the 978-0-06-283815-5 novel takes as its main subject the romantic entanglements of its main character, there is something else, too, seething beneath The latest thriller from Swanson (All this current. The novel was written in the years between the two the Beautiful Lies, 2018, etc.) is a twisty, world wars, and though no explicit reference to politics or history fast-paced tale that depicts picket-fence is ever made, the shadows of the wars are felt quite forcefully in suburbia’s seamy, murderous underside. each discrete section. Sebastian himself was a Jew from Romania Hen and her husband, Lloyd, have who wrote openly about his experiences. Eventually, his friends just left Boston for the tranquil burbs, abandoned him. He survived the Second World War only to die and things are looking up for her. After a psychotic break in a freak accident in 1945. Sebastian’s other, perhaps stronger, sparked by the unsolved murder of a neighbor, Hen is on the work deals more directly with the legacy of the wars, but this mend, her bipolar disorder under control, her optimism resur- novel is no throwaway, either: It’s an edgy account of sexuality, gent, her career as an illustrator of dark YA books taking off. At desire, and the strictures of contemporary relationships. a meet and greet she and her husband hit it off, or think they Not quite as dynamic as Sebastian’s more explicitly should, with their next-door neighbors Matthew and Mira, the political work, the novel is still a compelling portrait of only other childless couple nearby. But when they cross the desire in its many convoluted manifestations. driveway for a barbecue, the potential for neighborly coziness curdles. Hen notices a little fencing trophy on a shelf in Mat- thew’s office and recognizes it—or wonders if she recognizes it— GRACE AFTER HENRY as one of the mementos the police reported was stolen from the Shortall, Eithne murder scene in the city. When Hen recalls that the man killed Putnam (384 pp.) was once a student at the prep school where Matthew teaches $16.00 paper | Mar. 12, 2019 history, Hen grows suspicious of Matthew—and starts to stalk 978-0-525-53786-1 him. Is this a break in the case or the beginning of another fit of paranoia? And even if it’s the former, who will believe Hen’s A young woman in Dublin handles suspicions given her earlier obsession with the case and the a confusing and surprising gain after a hospitalization it led to? Swanson is at his best in exploring the deep and personal loss. kinship—or what some see as the kinship—between artist and After her partner, Henry, dies in a killer, one of the themes of Swanson’s great model and forebear, bike accident, Grace spends nearly three Patricia Highsmith. Swanson isn’t quite up to Highsmith’s lofty months emotionally and physically shut mark, and he succumbs toward the end to a soap opera–like down. Then, with lots of prodding from her parents and best plot-twist-too-far...but for the most part, this novel delivers. friend, she attempts the barest requirements of living again: A dark, quick-moving, suspenseful story stuffed full of going to her job as chef at a local cafe, visiting Henry’s grave, and psychological quirk and involution. furnishing the house the two were buying when he died. She thinks she sees Henry everywhere and has to convince herself it’s just her grieving brain playing tricks on her, until he shows up, on WOMEN TALKING her doorstep, in the flesh. But this isn’t Henry, either. It’s Andy, Toews, Miriam the twin brother from Down Under no one knew existed. Once Bloomsbury (240 pp.) the initial shock has dropped to a simmer, Grace allows herself $24.00 | Apr. 2, 2019 to find comfort in Andy’s similarities to Henry while Andy finds 978-1-63557-258-2 comfort seeing the type of life he might have had if his restless, adoptive single mom hadn’t moved him to Australia. They both An exquisite critique of patriarchal dabble in magical thinking, teasing at this soap-opera setup to see culture from the author of All My Puny if it might go in the most soap-opera direction. But Grace (who Sorrows (2014). narrates the bulk of the book) has a straightforward, often droll The Molotschna Colony is a fun- tone, and Shortall in general focuses on small, daily details over damentalist Mennonite community in sweeping, dramatic ones. This is a blessing and a curse; it tempers South America. For a period of years, the high drama of the plot into something sweet and (almost) almost all the women and girls have awakened to find them- believable. But in the dance between the two she loses sight of selves bloodied and bruised, with no memories of what might the story of grief, which deserves more attention. have happened in the night. At first, they assumed that, in their Strongest in its depiction of modern Dublin charac- weakness, they were attracting demons to their beds. Then they ters and their entertaining interactions, muddled when it learn that, in fact, they have been drugged and raped repeat- comes to the meat of the story. edly by men of the colony. It’s only when one woman, Salome,

30 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Vann draws on his own family’s history for this affecting novel of a man grappling with deep depression. halibut on the moon

attacks the accused that outside authorities are called—for the their surname. What endures the most from this novel is the men’s protection. While the rest of the men are away in the city, sense of desperation that emerges from its central character—a arranging for bail, a group of women gather to decide how they feeling that’s at once profoundly alienated from everything and will live after this monstrous betrayal. The title means what it everyone around it and heartbreakingly tactile. says: This novel is an account of two days of discussion, and it is A moving portrait of a family dealing with loss before it riveting and revelatory. The cast of characters is small, confined happens and of the harrowing ways depression can disrupt to two families, but it includes teenage girls and grandmothers countless lives. and an assortment of women in between. The youngest form an almost indistinguishable dyad, but the others emerge from the formlessness their culture tries to enforce through behav- ABEL AND CAIN ior, dress, and hairstyle as real and vividly compelling characters. von Rezzori, Gregor Shocked by the abuse they have endured at the hands of the Trans. by Dollenmayer, David & Neugroschel, men to whom they are supposed to entrust not only their bod- Joachim & Yarbrough, Marshall ies, but also their souls, these women embark on a conversation New York Review Books (882 pp.) that encompasses all the big questions of Christian theology $22.95 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 and Western philosophy—a ladies-only Council of Nicea, Pla- 978-1-68137-325-6 to’s Symposium with instant coffee instead of wine. This surely is not the first time that these women are thinking for them- Von Rezzori’s vast roman à clef The selves, but it might be the first time they are questioning the Death of My Brother Abel, first published male-dominated system that endangered them and their chil- in English in 1985, is given extra heft

dren, and it is clearly the first time they are working through with the addition of a couple of hundred young adult the practical ramifications of what they know and what they pages of posthumous postscript—pre- truly believe. It’s true that the narrator is a man, but that’s of quel, that is. necessity. These women are illiterate and therefore incapable In the first iteration of his novel, von Rezzori opens with of recording their thoughts without his sympathetic assistance. a provocative scene in which a streetwalker tells the secret for Stunningly original and altogether arresting. dealing with the inevitable what’s-a-nice-girl-like-you question: “I’ve got six different versions in stock,” she says, “all of them very believable.” So it is with all the players in this often HALIBUT ON THE MOON perplexing book, to which has been added Cain: The Last Manu Vann, David script, published in German in 2001: The voices shift among the Grove (272 pp.) protagonist, the author Aristide Subics, and his editor, Schwab, $26.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 whose name is similar enough to provoke suspicion; from time 978-0-8021-2893-5 to time other characters take over. Subics is working away over a mountain of notes on a story of his own, recalling the challenge Vann draws on his own family’s his- of an American agent: “Okay then, tell me a story, if possible tory for this affecting novel of a man in three short sentences.” That’s impossible, of course: Just get- grappling with deep depression. ting to a short period of Subics’ childhood in a part of Romania Jim, the protagonist of this psycho- later swallowed up by the Soviet Union takes pages to tease out, logically detailed novel, is a man who’s and then there’s the rise of Hitler, the Anschluss, the war, and reached the limits of his life. He’s deeply all that comes after, from the “denunciations, self-abasement in debt to the IRS, his marital history is bleak, and he’s contem- before the victors, begging for cigarettes and chocolate, turning plating suicide. As the novel opens, he’s traveled from Alaska to tricks for nylons, and so on” of the Occupation to the economic California to spend time with his family—notably, his younger miracle of the 1960s. Throughout, von Rezzori’s characters are brother, Gary, who seems to have succeeded in all of the areas ironic and elusive: if Cain killed Abel, then brother after brother where Jim has come up short. “Jim envies his younger brother, has had no trouble killing in the countless generations since, not only his youth and looks and the women but also his sim- and for all the usual reasons: “I mean, everyone for his ideals, plicity,” Vann writes early on, and this neatly establishes a con- of course. For the Folk and Fatherland. For his traditions.” Von trast between the two men. As Jim revisits people who have Rezzori’s book is episodic, with stories sometimes breaking off known him for much of his life, a gradual tension emerges in in the middle, always with an odd poetry (“and I watched the their interactions. Is he there to seek relief for his depression grand spectacle purely through indolently squinting eyes”) that or to cut ties with those closest to him, pushing them away finds beauty even in the most terrible destruction. before the end of his life? Given its subject matter, this is not A challenging consideration of a murderous history by an easy read. Vann’s portrait of a man convinced that his course a knowing witness. of self-destruction is inevitable makes for numerous chilling and unsettling moments. There is also an element of autofic- tion present here: One of Jim’s children shares the author’s name, and Jim and Gary spend time discussing the origins of

| kirkus.com | fiction | 1 january 2019 | 31 THE BIRD KING THE QUINTLAND SISTERS Wilson, G. Willow Wood, Shelley Grove (416 pp.) Morrow/HarperCollins (480 pp.) $26.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 $15.99 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 978-0-8021-2903-1 978-0-06-283909-1

After several years writing comic Summoned in May 1934, to help the books, the author of World Fantasy local midwife deliver a child two months Award–winning novel Alif the Unseen premature, Emma Trimpany, just 17 years (2012) returns to long-form fiction with old herself, witnesses the remarkable a lovely fable sent during the final days of births of five tiny babes: the Dionne the Reconquista. Quintuplets. Restless, angry 17-year-old Fatima has had a relatively cos- Wood’s debut novel tells the story of the first recorded suc- seted existence as a slave in the Alhambra palace harem, serving cessful delivery of quintuplets, to Elzire and Oliva Dionne in the sultan of Granada as his favorite concubine and his mother rural Canada. Through journal entries, Emma chronicles the as her close companion. But as the sultan prepares to surren- girls’ lives from the frightening first days, when the tiny, frag- der his lands to Ferdinand and Isabella, rulers of the recently ile babies struggled to survive every hour, through their child- united Spain, all that is thrown into upheaval when Fatima inad- hoods as well as Emma’s own blossoming into a nurse and young vertently betrays her beloved friend Hassan to the Inquisition, woman. Already raising five children, the Dionnes live on a farm which believes him to be a sorcerer. In fact, Hassan is a gay car- that Dr. Allan Dafoe pronounces unfit for the quints. Initially, tographer with a narrow but powerful magic: He can create new Dafoe transforms the Dionne’s kitchen into a sterile space with shortcuts between places with his maps as well as draw loca- incubators shipped in from Chicago; eventually, a brand-new tions he has never seen, including some which don’t become hospital is built, devoted exclusively to the quints and their real until he draws them. Fatima and Hassan make a desper- medical team, across the street from the farmhouse. In addi- ate escape, aided by capricious jinn, but the Inquisition seems tion to recording the girls’ developmental progress, Emma always to be just behind them. Their only possible refuge might traces the comings and goings of various nurses, some of whom lie in the fragment of an old poem the two companions have leave under shadowy circumstances. Telling the tale through pored over since childhood, about the mysterious island of Qaf, Emma’s perspective enables Wood to capture not only the fiery hidden refuge of the king of birds. The worldbuilding is well- conflict between the provincial, French-speaking Dionnes and constructed but is primarily a support for Wilson’s chief focus the medical team (with its well-meaning but arrogant empha- on character, specifically on Fatima’s growing understanding of sis on cleanliness and what’s best technically for the children), the nature of freedom and responsibility. Wilson also delicately but also Emma’s uncomfortable sympathies. The conflict esca- explores the nature of a love outside the physical through the lates as Oliva Dionne and Dr. Dafoe lock horns in a series of complex and very genuine relationship shared by Fatima and lawsuits, with Dionne trying to assert parental rights and both Hassan. And she has some interesting things to imply about the sides (plus the Canadian government) trying to capitalize upon nature of evil, particularly how it’s personified through Luz, the the quints’ popularity through advertising and movie contracts. Dominican lay sister who serves as an Inquisitor for the Holy Meanwhile, as Emma herself must decide whether mothering Office. Partway through the story, Luz becomes possessed by a the quints is worth giving up her dreams of art school, she is dark creature personified as a mote in her eye; it might be sim- headed for a cataclysmic change of her own. pler to believe that it’s the mote that goads her toward torment A charming and well-researched, if long-winded, tale of and murder, but she joined the Inquisition and carried with her love and survival. the implements of torture long before the possession. She has the potential to become a better person, but future deeds can’t really blot out her past ones. THE CLUB A thoughtful and beautiful balance between the real Würger, Takis and the fantastic. Trans. by Collins, Charlotte Grove (224 pp.) $26.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 978-0-8021-2896-6

A young man infiltrates a secret university club and discovers a dangerous secret. German journalist Würger’s debut novel begins with his protagonist, Hans, describing his idyllic childhood: “When I think back to the earliest years of my life it is always late summer.” A soft and

32 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A lethal fire sends the French king into a state, forcing the queen once more to seek sleuthing help from a scribe. in the shadow of the enemy

curious boy, Hans lives with his parents in their home in a close, Casey convinces April to sneak into town to save Ken- forest—a happy arrangement that ends quite suddenly. Years ny’s life. The bigger hurdle is getting April to Rockton without later, Hans—who is starved for friendship and family—receives alerting the town council, especially Phil, its hidebound new an invitation from his aunt to attend St. John’s College, Cam- leader. Rockton is a planned community of residents hiding bridge. The offer comes with strings attached: Hans will have to from outside threats, but the town’s pay-to-play rules mean that investigate the Pitt Club, one of the oldest institutions on cam- some residents are perpetrators of crimes hiding out to avoid pus. The club is full of rich, privileged young men well-versed in paying their debts to society. After April comes to town, Casey secrets, debauchery, and something far more sinister. Aided by and Dalton discover a man camping out in the surrounding Charlotte, a fellow student, Hans is introduced into the world woods. Mark Garcia identifies himself as a U.S. Marshal on the of the elite. Comprised of many different voices, the novel feels hunt for a Rockton resident he won’t identify except to say that Greek chorus–esque. Some points of view only appear once (i.e., the fugitive’s psychopathic tendencies will endanger residents. a shopkeeper’s) but others run through the entirety of the novel Casey and Dalton, uncertain whether it’s riskier to work with (i.e, that of Josh, an angry, toxic Pitt Club member who adores Garcia or against him, are unable to wrest the resident’s name Hans). Made up of mostly short, uncomplicated sentences, the from Garcia before he’s shot and killed. Now Casey must work writing is also overwhelmingly evocative at times: “I told them with Dalton to counteract that threat to Rockton as she tries to how oranges tasted of adventure, and how the soft hair at the forge a path to peace with April. nape of girls’ necks sometimes looked like candyfloss.” While Building on the hidden world she’s built, Armstrong the crime at the novel’s center is not surprising, it serves as a focuses less on the moody atmosphere earlier installments catalyst for Würger’s interesting ruminations on class, violence, (This Fallen Prey, 2018, etc.) have favored than on the politics power, wealth, and masculinity. Many of these themes are also and interpersonal dynamics of her metaphorical lions and

explored through boxing as Hans tries out for the university’s lambs—though it seems like everyone here is a bit of a lion. young adult team. Boxing runs through the novel like a heartbeat—revealing the dangers of violent masculine camaraderie with every scene. The novel’s complicated ending touches on the problems IN THE SHADOW OF of justice and redemption: who gets it, who deserves it, and its THE ENEMY human cost. Bayard, Tania A sparse, cutting debut in which violence begets vio- Severn House (224 pp.) lence begets healing. $28.99 | Mar. 1, 2019 978-0-7278-8843-3

A lethal fire sends the French king into a state, forcing the queen once more mystery to seek sleuthing help from a scribe who straddles the royal and everyday worlds. Though merely a woman and not even a member of the court, Christine de Pizan has long WATCHER IN THE WOODS been admitted to the presence of Queen Isabeau, a privilege Armstrong, Kelley that was invaluable when Christine discovered the identity Minotaur (368 pp.) of a murderer close to the royals (In the Presence of Evil, 2018). $26.99 | Feb. 5, 2019 Inspired by Christine’s success with the previous investiga- 978-1-250-15991-5 tion, Queen Isabeau once again relies on the scribe’s resource- fulness when she calls upon Christine to begin another A Canadian town whose population informal investigation. The king hasn’t been himself since a includes people running from criminals recent ball, when a torch thrown from the musicians’ area and criminals running from the con- killed four men. The queen, who doesn’t believe the rumors sequences of their crimes is infiltrated blaming the once-popular Duke of Orléans, wants to learn by a U.S. Marshal bent on bringing an the true identity of the killer. Much to her mother Franc - unnamed resident to justice. esca’s horror, Christine seeks support from her clever friend Rockton Detective Casey Butler is on an unusual new mis- Marion, whose excellent connections depend at least partly sion. Usually something of a maverick working alone to solve on her work as a prostitute. But Francesca doesn’t have much crimes, Casey has relied on the help of her sheriff, Eric Dalton, social capital with Christine after bringing home a strange who’s not only her technical superior and frequent investigative woman who appears determined to antagonize Christine’s collaborator, but the first man she’s ever committed to living otherwise well-behaved children. The woman, who Franc- with or calling her boyfriend. The two leave the safe haven of esca explains is Martin du Bois’ wife, Klara, appears to have Rockton, a secret town in the Yukon, to recruit Casey’s sister, been abandoned by her husband. So Christine and Marion April, a gifted doctor, to operate on Kenny, a resident who’s add trying to locate him to their to-do list. Christine sus - been badly injured. Although Casey and April have never been pects that the secret of the king’s sorry state and the fatal

| kirkus.com | mystery | 1 january 2019 | 33 torch-throwing may lie in the queen’s inner circle of misfits, Katelyn Hamm, Joe’s counterpart in Shell County, is sad- who are largely ignored by others in the court. She makes a dened and angry to see a herd of terrified mule deer fleeing, special effort to get to know Alips, the queen’s dwarf, who some to their deaths, from an unregistered drone aircraft that may be the key to unraveling the mystery. disappears in the direction of Twelve Sleep County. This isn’t Historical details drive this period puzzle, whose hero- the first time locals have spotted the drone, and Katelyn wants ine provides a steady presence against a backdrop of char- Joe to track down its owner. Joe obligingly traces the rogue air- acters constantly fighting against their time and stations. craft to the compound of Bill Hill, who gets him just as furious as Katelyn by freely admitting the offense, crumpling up the citation Joe gives him, refusing to follow him to the sher- A DEADLY TURN iff’s office, and assuring Joe that he’ll never have to answer the Booth, Claire charge—and that Joe himself will be in trouble if he presses too Severn House (288 pp.) hard. Trouble promptly arrives in the form of two FBI agents $28.99 | Mar. 1, 2019 from the nation’s capital who warn first Katelyn, then Joe, off 978-0-7278-8845-7 the case, which they consider no big deal compared to the threat against thousands of lives—“maybe tens of thousands.... When Missouri Sheriff Hank Worth Maybe millions”—they’re handling but refuse to identify. lets six teenagers in a speeding car off Meanwhile, four professional killers, including a particularly with a warning instead of a ticket, he fatal female, are headed to Twelve Sleep County from Arizona, thinks he’s helping them learn a lesson— where they’ve just killed their latest target, his wife, and a friend until a crash minutes later kills them all. who happened to have stopped by. Squeezed between the feds Worth’s guilt is hardly the only and the Wolf Pack, a murderous arm of the Sinaloa drug cartel, problem he’ll cope with in Booth’s latest installment (Another Joe will himself be targeted, along with Katelyn, the FBI agents, Man’s Ground, 2017, etc.) set in and near Branson, Missouri. the local sheriff, his wife’s best friend, and his own friend the He learns that one of the passengers in the car is using a false outlaw falconer Nate Romanowski, for elimination before the identity. Then he learns that another local teen has suffered a killers can move on to their real target. near-fatal fall the same night as the crash. When a murder is It’s obvious where all this is going, but Box gets you also committed, Worth and his team will have to work with— there, in one of most tightly wound tales, with more thrills or despite—the presence of other law enforcement agencies. than a snowy road on a steep mountain and more authority While Worth’s chief deputy, Sheila, is more than capable, than the governor of Wyoming. young deputy Sam is still unsure of himself following an ear - lier incident. The plot unfolds too slowly, especially at first, when all the victims’ families are visited and multiple names MRS. JEFFRIES DELIVERS are introduced. When another plot tangent involving an aged THE GOODS country music star is included, the reader can only agree with Brightwell, Emily a deputy, who says “OK, I’m not really sure what’s going on.” Berkley (288 pp.) But if the author’s plotting is confusing, her ability to sketch $16.00 paper | Mar. 12, 2019 believable characters is strong, making us understand people, 978-0-451-49222-7 especially superstrong and cool Sheila. One does wish that Hank would move on a little quicker from his guilt and teary A Victorian police inspector never eyes, but it’s an affectionate portrayal nonetheless. realizes that his amazing success rate is A little too much inner thought and not enough outer due to his household staff. action keep this Missouri mystery on a slow ride. Inspector Gerald Witherspoon of Scotland Yard is called in to a case of suspected murder at the Lighterman’s Ball. James Pierce, who WOLF PACK runs a successful shipping business, has for many years hosted Box, C.J. a dinner and ball for his employees. This year he’s added Putnam (384 pp.) friends and members of his board of directors and moved the $27.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 affair from a pub to the Wrexley Hotel. When Stephen Brem- 978-0-525-53819-6 mer, who’s about to join the board, keels over after drinking a champagne toast, Dr. Bosworth, a police surgeon, and Wig- Fired after his last colorfully insub- gins, Witherspoon’s footman, are by chance both attending as ordinate outing (The Disappeared, 2018), guests. Bosworth immediately suspects that Bremmer was poi- Wyoming Fish and Game Warden Joe soned. While Witherspoon pursues official paths, his house- Pickett is back on the job in Twelve Sleep hold staff and their circle of friends and informants set out to County just in time to follow the trail dig up information about anyone sitting at the head table who from a routine misdemeanor to a quartet seems most likely to have had the chance to poison Bremmer of hired killers. when the lights were turned off just before the toast. A man

34 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | When Auntie Poldi loses her inner equilibrium, it takes a volcano to restore her to balance. auntie poldi and the vineyards of etna

universally disliked for his rudeness and snobbery, Bremmer A BEAUTIFUL CORPSE married a slightly older woman with money, but the allowance Daugherty, Christi she’s granted him hasn’t been enough, and he’s been making Minotaur (368 pp.) extra money by blackmailing people in his social circle. So $26.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 many of them have secrets they’re desperate to cover up that 978-1-250-14887-2 it will be no easy task to unmask the killer. Mrs. Jeffries, the housekeeper with an amazing talent for uncovering the truth A crime reporter who’s still obsessed (Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women, 2017, etc.), is enshrined with the long-ago murder of her mother at the center of the web, as all who work in the household and faces more present-day murder. many who don’t bring her the tidbits of information she needs One reason Harper McClain became to solve the puzzle. a crime reporter for a Savannah newspa- All who enjoy Victorian mysteries will enjoy this com- per was her excellent relationship with plex tale of love, hate, class snobbery, and murder. the police. That ended when she took down the man who was like a father to her, the former homicide chief who’s now doing time for murder (The Echo Killing, 2018). As a result, most of the BROKEN BONE CHINA cops shun her and make her life miserable, and her romantic Childs, Laura relationship with homicide detective Luke Walker has been Berkley (336 pp.) shattered. A new murder case plunges Harper back into all the $26.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 bad memories. Harper’s bestie, Bonnie Larson, works at the 978-0-451-48963-0 Library bar along with beautiful law student Naomi Scott, who

leaves early on a quiet night. A call from Harper’s photographer, young adult Hot air balloons and drones fail to Miles Jackson, sends her racing to River Street, the heart of the play well together. tourist area, which has become a murder scene. She’s devas- Theodosia Browning of the Indigo tated to see that the body is Naomi’s. The police fasten on her Tea Shop and her tea expert, Drayton boyfriend, Wilson Shepherd, but Naomi’s father insists on Wil- Conneley, have catered a fancy tea for a son’s innocence. Detective Julie Daltrey, who’s caught the case, balloon rally whose leading attraction is a grudgingly gives Harper enough information to get her started balloon ride. Drayton, already white-knuckled, is horrified when on a story that could turn into a blockbuster. Meantime, Harper a drone that appears among the balloons suddenly attacks one has other problems to spare. Someone’s gotten into her apart- of them, causing it to crash and killing all the occupants. Soon ment despite all her security measures, and she constantly feels Theodosia’s frenemy, Detective Burt Tidwell, arrives and ques- that she’s being followed. The case does get her back in touch tions them. The police think Don Kingsley, the CEO of local with Luke, and the passion they shared flares again. The police, tech firm SyncSoft, was the primary target. Before he went down unable to develop enough evidence to hold Wilson, begin look- with the balloon, Kingsley had some money problems and a ing at Naomi’s boss and a fellow law student she dated and then wife, Tawney, whose expenses rehabbing a classic Charleston began to fear. Although Harper worries about her stalker, she house into a B&B were getting out of hand. Antiques dealer Tod doesn’t see the danger coming from both past and present. Slawson tells Theodosia and Drayton that Kingsley was also the This first-rate adventure for Daugherty’s heroine is owner of an original Gadsden Flag, a Revolutionary War arti- fast-paced, intriguing, and romantic. A message from her fact that vanished from his home immediately after his death. stalker intimates her next adventure will be just as exciting. A flag worth millions, an obvious motive for murder, brings Theodosia’s sleuthing instincts to the fore. She speaks with several dealers who’d been interested in buying the flag and with AUNTIE POLDI AND THE Tawney Kingsley, who’s gone directly from prospective divor- VINEYARDS OF ETNA cée to heiress. Theodosia’s boyfriend, Charleston police detec- Giordano, Mario tive Pete Riley, is out of town, leaving her on her own except Trans. by Brownjohn, John for Drayton and a few other friends. Taking time out from her Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (352 pp.) responsibilities at the shop and all the special tea parties she’s $24.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 staging, Theodosia agrees to help out a friend whose boyfriend, a 978-1-328-91902-1 whistleblower at SyncSoft, is in the frame. Her continued sleuthing soon makes her a target of a killer who will stop at nothing. When Auntie Poldi loses her inner Has the year since Childs’ last tea-shop mystery (Plum equilibrium, it takes a volcano to restore Tea Crazy, 2018, etc.) whetted your appetite? Although the her to balance. mystery is weak, the tea is strong, and the loving descrip- Having decided after all not to drink tions of Charleston, tea, and the accompanying food almost herself to death with a comfortable view of the sea (Auntie Poldi make up for it. and the Sicilian Lions, 2015), Bavarian expatriate Isolde Oberre- iter has settled into a pleasant routine in her villa in Torre Archi- rafi. Mondays: the beach. Tuesdays: the fish market with Uncle

| kirkus.com | mystery | 1 january 2019 | 35 Martino. Wednesdays: language school in Taormina. Thursdays: daughter of Caroline and Michael; his parents later brought her tea with her neighbor Valérie. Fridays, sex with Commissario up as one of their own because his mother was Caroline’s sis- Vito Montana. Saturdays: gin rummy with Signora Cocuzza and ter. DCI Bill Rackham, the friend Jack brings on the case to Padre Paolo. But routines can do only so much to tame a force get access to police records, is glad to help because he’s taken a of nature like Poldi, as she is known to her family, friends, and shine to Jenny. But then someone who knew the Trevelyans in neighbors, which include the entire population of Torre Archi- the past is murdered, and Jenny’s father becomes the main sus- rafi and a good bit of neighboring Catania. Soon she’s on a quest: pect despite her aunt’s protestations that he’s as innocent now to find out who killed Lady, Valérie’s scruffy, gentle mongrel. as he was back then. Vito inadvertently provides her first clue. Invested in a brand A delightful period piece you won’t put down until the of pillow talk only he and Poldi could devise, he concludes one truth is revealed. Friday afternoon’s adventures with an account of the death of Elisa Puglisi, a member of Catania’s provincial Direzione Dis- trettuale Antimafia, who was conked by a bottle of Polifemo. THE STRANGER DIARIES Well, anyone depraved enough to kill a district attorney might Griffiths, Elly do the same to a defenseless animal, and next thing you know, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (352 pp.) Poldi is riding her multicolored Vespa up the slopes of Etna $25.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 to the Avola vineyard, the source of the bottle that put a pre- 978-1-328-57785-6 mature end to Puglisi’s career. And because Poldi “was just not made for compromises, for the grey areas of life, for rear-view A secondary school English depart- mirrors, loopholes or get-out clauses,” she pushes forward to an ment in West Sussex is turned upside encounter with a winemaker that proves as explosive as the hill down by a series of bookish killings. beneath her feet. Clare Cassidy is heading into middle Giordano gives his heroine’s second outing as much age with just her teenage daughter, her punch as her debut. Long may she reign. faithful dog, her diary, and her teaching job to occupy her time. The most exciting part of her life may be the biography she hopes to write of R.M. Holland, a writer of FORGOTTEN MURDER gothic tales who once lived in the school where she works. But Gordon-Smith, Dolores when one of her colleagues in the English department at Tal- Severn House (240 pp.) garth High is found murdered with a line from “The Stranger,” $28.99 | Mar. 1, 2019 the very same Holland story that has long obsessed Clare, left 978-0-7278-8846-4 on a Post-it next to her body, she quickly realizes the murderer must be someone who knows an awful lot about her. This sus- A flash of déjà vu involves an amateur picion is confirmed when, the day before Halloween, Clare dis- sleuth in a bizarre case in a mystery set in covers that someone else has left her a note in her own diary. As 1920s England. the violence escalates, Clare and the police must figure out why Now married to author Jack Hal- the killer seems so fixated on Clare—and what a supernaturally dean, whom she first met when she was tinged tale more than a hundred years old has to do with the a murder suspect (After the Exhibition, quiet lives of small-town Brits. Griffiths alternates points of 2014), Betty Wingate invites her friend Jenny Langton for a girls’ view among Clare, her 15-year-old daughter, Georgie, and DS night out, little suspecting that it will lead to one of Jack’s most Harbinder Kaur, the queer policewoman in charge of the mur- unusual cases. The ambitious Jenny has secretly been feeding der investigation. Thrown into the mix are excerpts from “The her estate-agent boss articles on the capabilities of modern Stranger,” itself a delicious homage to writers like M.R. James. women, so he gives her the chance to go and write up a property. Though all these ingredients occasionally cause some struc- The housekeeper of the 1882 dwelling is delighted to show her tural unwieldiness, Griffiths The( Vanishing Box, 2018, etc.) hits around, but Jenny has the strange feeling she’s seen it before a sweet spot for readers who love British mysteries and who are and even knows the color schemes of the rooms before she looking for something to satisfy an itch once Broadchurch has sees them. Although she’s greatly upset by these feelings, she’s been binged and Wilkie Collins reread. utterly unprepared for the moment when she touches a cedar Griffiths, who is known for the Magic Men mysteries tree in the garden, sees a monster, and faints. When she con- and the Ruth Galloway series, has written her first stand- fides in Betty that evening that she fears she’s losing her mind, alone novel with immensely pleasurable results. Betty urges her to talk to Jack, whose very practical suggestion that Jenny had either visited or lived in the house as a child is supported by further investigation. When Caroline Trevelyan vanished from the house in 1907, her husband, Michael, was suspected of murdering her even though her body was never found. Jenny asks her brother, Martin, about this history, and he grudgingly admits that Jenny had indeed lived there as the

36 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Murder strikes yet another writers’ retreat. cyanide with christie

CYANIDE WITH CHRISTIE receive a hostile reception from Christian Lemaire, the officer Hyde, Katherine Bolger in charge. Prejudice is clearly at work when local priest Father Severn House (208 pp.) Roy, who was found at the scene with a rifle in his hands, is $28.99 | Mar. 1, 2019 escorted away, while Amadou Duchon, a young black member of 978-0-7278-8844-0 the mosque, is arrested. Scores of reporters, community activists, and the premier’s press liaison descend on the town with their Murder strikes yet another writers’ very different agendas. The crimes seem almost to have been retreat. committed by two different people. The women were all calmly Readers who anticipate a raucous tale shot with a handgun in the basement; a violent rage upstairs of a poisoner who enlists New Jersey’s ex- apparently fueled the deaths and woundings of dozens of men governor as an accomplice will be sorely with an assault rifle. Esa, who always gets intensely invested in his disappointed to see Hyde serve up that cases, becomes even more so because of the involvement of uni- hoariest of chestnuts, a country-house versity student Alizah Siddiqui, whose sister’s murder he investi- murder. The house is Windy Corner Writers’ Retreat Center, an gated (A Dangerous Crossing, 2018). Alizah has a campus radio talk old Victorian mansion on the Oregon coast inherited by Reed Col- show that constantly battles another station intent on stirring lege professor Emily Cavanaugh. Hoping to lure the next genera- up hatred in an area where Francophile sentiment already runs tion of Austens and Dostoevskys to create their masterworks in her deep. The neo-Nazi Wolf Allegiance is run by Maxime Thibault, library, Emily names each of the mansion’s many bedrooms after a an arrogant preppy who has a love-hate relationship with Alizah. literary titan. Windy Corner’s maiden effort at promoting literary Rachel is both attracted to Lemaire and deeply distrustful of him greatness includes a Reed College adjunct who studies Forster’s and other police officers she suspects of bigotry. Khan peoples

“view of the individual in society, across all the novels,” a memoir- her police procedural with believably nuanced characters to high- young adult ist, a “well-known writer of highbrow mysteries,” a writer of cozies, light the consequences of hate. and straight-outta-Paris Marguerite Grenier, Emily’s best friend, The tension never lets down in this horrifying look at who talks to her pal in untranslated French. At first, memoirist mass murder and the often mundane factors that inspire it. Dustin Weaver looks like the obvious victim. He snubs the adjunct, ridicules the other writers, and scarfs down whatever alcohol he can find. (Since Emily’s too refined to keep whiskey in the house, DEATH BLOW he has to make do with the sherry she reserves for cocktail hour.) Maldonado, Isabella But the arrival of bestselling author Cruella Crime puts Weaver in Midnight Ink/Llewellyn (312 pp.) his place. Ostentatiously mean, Cruella seems to have the goods $15.99 paper | Mar. 8, 2019 on every member of the party and isn’t shy about slinging innuen- 978-0-7387-5103-0 does. Enter the obligatory ice storm, and the trapped authors get to watch in horror as Cruella downs a cordial laced with cyanide Phoenix homicide detective Veranda during a game of charades. Emily’s long-suffering beau, Lt. Luke Cruz has many reasons to want cartel Richards, lands the task of finding out who killed Cruella as well king Hector Villalobos captured, but as the honor of sleeping on Emily’s fold-out loveseat every night. her job becomes even more complicated Hyde (Bloodstains with Brontë, 2017, etc.) invites her read- when it gets personal. ers into a confined space that’s stuffy, not tense. Even her In this third installment of the series villain has no bite. (Blood’s Echo, 2017, etc.), Cruz admits that she is actually the daughter of Villalobos, born to her mother, Lorena, after Vil- lalobos killed Lorena’s husband and then raped her. Cruz and A DEADLY DIVIDE her team have had some success in stopping the cartel. However, Khan, Ausma Zehanat Villalobos’ acknowledged daughter, Daria, is determined to kill Minotaur (384 pp.) Cruz to prove to her father that she is capable of eventually run- $26.99 | Feb. 12, 2019 ning the cartel and just as willing to use his weapons of torture 978-1-250-29828-7 and murder to accomplish her mission. As the two groups battle, with betrayals on each side, the scenes of violence are sometimes A sadly relevant look at the conse- balanced by the realistic cop-humor dialogue, made believable by quences of racism and bigotry. the author’s background in law enforcement and only sometimes Esa Khattak and his partner, Sgt. slowed down by overwrought writing (“Frustration had whipped Rachel Getty, are the mainstays of Can- through her like a fresh squall churning an already stormy sea”). ada’s Community Policing Department, The author further enriches the plot with glimpses into Veranda’s which deals with hate crimes and terror- loving relationship with her family without letting readers forget ism. Their latest case takes them from their Toronto base to a for one moment how tough and hardheaded she is. small Quebecois town where someone has just massacred mem- If you’re in the mood for a nonstop exposé of every fear bers of the local mosque. Both Rachel and Esa, who is a second- you’ve ever had about cartel crime, Veranda Cruz is the generation Canadian Muslim, are deeply disturbed when they woman to follow.

| kirkus.com | mystery | 1 january 2019 | 37 ALIBIS & ANGELS from two old college pals who live nearby. Tish’s first break Matthews, Olivia comes when her landlord, handsome lawyer Schuyler Thomp- Kensington (352 pp.) son, recommends her for a catering job. Local library queen $7.99 paper | Feb. 26, 2019 Binnie Broderick, whose other firm has cancelled their con- 978-1-4967-0942-4 tract with her, wants Tish to cater a big fundraising dinner for an impossibly low price. Knowing that Binnie is difficult, Trish A possible murder spices the 40 days stands firm, and all goes reasonably well until Binnie douses her of Lent for Sister Louise LaSalle and her prime rib with hot sauce, chokes, and expires before the guests’ cohort in the Congregation of the Sisters eyes. Since Tish knows that having someone die at a dinner you of St. Hermione of Ephesus. cooked is bad for business, she starts a campaign to deliver feel- Somebody wants Heather Stanley good treats around town and decides that a little sleuthing can’t out of Briar Coast—somebody who’s hurt. She soon realizes that Binnie’s habit of using her money sending her anonymous letters calling and family influence to get her way made her the most hated her “Outsider” and threatening dire consequences if she runs woman around. She’d purged the library of many books she for re-election as the town’s mayor. So it’s not entirely surpris- didn’t like, openly insulted many townsfolk, including her own ing when Opal Lorrie, the town’s director of finance and man- daughter and son-in-law, feuded with the town’s well-known agement, suffers a fatal fall while she’s wearing the coat Heather romance writer, and wasn’t above blackmailing people whose loaned her on her way to a meeting with the board of educa- secrets she’d discovered. Tish’s initial worry about her legal lia- tion she’s attending in Heather’s place. It’s not surprising when bility for food poisoning is ended by the news that Binnie died Heather, who doesn’t think deputies Fran Cole and Ted Tate, from arsenic, not a trace of it found in any of her food or drink. are up to the job, begs Sister Lou, who’s already demonstrated Sheriff Reade, who witnessed it all, is remarkably tolerant of her sleuthing chops (Peril & Prayer, 2018, etc.), to investigate. Tish’s snooping, but she finds it difficult to question her helpful (After all, Heather is worried because “my margin of victory new friends, all of whom have motives to kill Binnie. over Owen Rodney was very small, not even twenty percent.”) Meade (Well-Offed in Vermont, 2011, etc.) introduces a It’s not surprising when Sister Lou identifies Heather’s most series that breaks no new ground but offers pleasing char- intimate professional associates—administrative assistant acters and a reasonably challenging mystery. Kerry Fletcher, chief of staff Arneeka Laguda, interim finance manager Penelope del Castillo, communications director Tian Lu—as prime suspects. It’s not surprising that the motive for DEATH AT THE the attack on Opal, and another on Heather herself, has roots in WYCHBOURNE FOLLIES the past. And it’s also not surprising that even though Sister Lou Myers, Amy is a sister, not a cloistered nun, she knows from Easter. Luckily, Severn House (224 pp.) her nephew Chris’ girlfriend, Sharelle Henson, is utterly oblivi- $28.99 | Mar. 1, 2019 ous about Catholicism even though she’s a seasoned reporter 978-0-7278-8850-1 for the Briar Coast Telegraph, where recently hired cub reporter Harold “Don’t Call Me Hal” Beckett is thirsting for her job. So A festive gathering of actors ends in Sister Lou has plenty of chances to explain utterly unsurpris- disaster. ing moral concepts and religious practices to Shari and equally When Lord and Lady Ansley invite a clueless readers. group of theatrical types to Wychbourne The target audience, in fact, is clearly genre fans allergic Court to give a performance that will to surprises. The whole production almost makes you forget benefit charity, Lady Ansley, herself a former Gaiety Theatre what an almighty surprise the first Easter must have been. star, fails to predict how much awkwardness will arise among several prima donnas who aren’t friends despite, or because of, their common interests. Growing ever more nervous, Lady Ans- COOKIN’ THE BOOKS ley counts on her chef, Nell Drury, a purveyor of magnificent Meade, Amy Patricia meals and a fountain of strength, and Tobias St. John Rocke, a Severn House (208 pp.) keeper of secrets and comforter to the theater tribe, to smooth $28.99 | Mar. 1, 2019 things over. In an awkward moment, Lady Ansley lets slip the 978-0-7278-8849-5 name of Mary Ann Darling, an actress she replaced but never met before the woman vanished and turned up dead several A fresh career choice and hometown years later, presumably the victim of an unsolved murder. Invok- spell trouble for a newly minted chef. ing a shadow from the past only increases the squabbling among Now that Tish Tarragon has rented the guests, who are not all happy about the production’s being a shop in the lovely old Virginia town of moved to the local inn and opened to the public. After the show, Hobson Glen, she plans to open Cookin’ Lady Ansley discovers that she’s lost a valuable brooch. When the Books Café, a literary-themed res- Nell and Lord Ansley return to the inn to search for it, they dis- taurant and catering business, with help cover the bloody body of Tobias dead near the village church.

38 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Sharp-eyed Nell can’t help but notice evidence being covered over by snow. Scotland Yard sends Inspector Alexander Melbray, science fiction whom Nell had helped before (Dancing with Death, 2017) and thought of as more than a passing acquaintance. So she’s especially put out by Melbray’s cold treatment of her. In between and fantasy whipping up dinners for the guests, Nell finds time to comfort Lady Ansley and hunt for clues to Rocke’s murder. Although the police arrest a local man, Melbray’s clearly not satisfied until the THE WOMEN’S WAR answer to several connected murders is revealed by some shock- Glass, Jenna ing secrets from the past. Del Rey (560 pp.) Plenty of period detail and shoals of red herrings keep $28.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 the story moving as the clever heroine seeks answers and a 978-1-984817-20-4 better relationship with the handsome inspector. High fantasy with a feminist perspective. Sort of. CHOCOLATE À LA MURDER Alysoon lives in Aalwell, the capi- Weiss, Kirsten tal of Aaltah. Her mother, Brynna, was Midnight Ink/Llewellyn (312 pp.) queen until Alys’ father, the king, set her $15.99 paper | Mar. 8, 2019 aside for a new wife and sent her to live at 978-0-7387-5713-1 the Abbey of the Unwanted. There, women are free to use petty

magic—men are the adepts in this world—but they are also sold young adult A wine and chocolate fest brings for sex. Alys’ husband has recently died, which means that she plenty of business and a chocolate-dipped and her children are now dependent on her father even though murder to San Benedetto, California. “she still hadn’t forgiven him,” and her half brother. Ellinsoltah of Maddie Kosloski has added a Magic Rhozinolm is a princess until a terrible accident makes her ruler. of Chocolate exhibit to her paranormal Everyone expects her to yield rule to the wise men around her, museum and is feeling good about the and they expect her to find a king consort soon, but Ellin finds museum and life in general, with her best friends, Adele and sovereignty to her liking. Alys and Ellin are adjusting to their Harper, always on hand to help. All is ready except for the deliv- new lives when they learn that Brynna has worked a powerful ery of chocolate from Reign, the local artisanal chocolate store. spell that fundamentally transforms their world: “From now on, Tired of waiting, she decides to go pick it up only to find a man no woman will conceive or carry a child unless she wishes to covered in chocolate lying on the floor, and her best efforts of her own free will.” Once Brynna unleashes her magic...not at CPR don’t work. The first officer on the scene is Detective much changes, at least not quickly. In this faux medieval world, Laurel Hammer; a bully in high school, she still hates Maddie, the ability of women to control their own reproductive desti- especially since Maddie has been dating Detective Jason Slate. nies should be a big deal. It’s baffling that it isn’t. Not only are The dead man is Atticus Reine, co-owner with Orson Malke of men not freaking out about their loss of power, but it takes many, the chocolate shop, which has gained a great reputation. Mad- many pages before it’s clear that women understand that they die has never been able to pass a murder by (Deja Moo, 2018, can now enjoy sex with men without worrying about pregnancy. etc.), and this time is no different even though it’s difficult for Part of the problem is one of perspective. We learn a great deal Jason to have his girlfriend as witness and sleuth. Although about the minutiae of Alys’ and Ellin’s lives, but we don’t know she dearly loves her friends, she and Harper are being driven much about what’s happening beyond their chambers. Another crazy by Adele, whose wedding plans are constantly changing issue is worldbuilding, an essential feature of fantasy. George as problems arise and she nitpicks every decision. Still, Mad- R.R. Martin knows more about Westeros than he will ever tell die finds time to speak to Orson and his wife, Lola, and Atticus’ us. Ursula K. LeGuin kept returning to Earthsea because she wife, India, who all worked in some capacity at Reign. There kept discovering new stories about the place even when she is also one employee they fired who was picketing when Mad- thought she was done. And of course, there’s the example of die arrived, but he is not first on her list of suspects—especially J.R.R. Tolkien. Glass’ Seven Wells seems more like a stage set once Tilde, the bookkeeper at Reign, is murdered and Maddie than a real universe. This is, apparently, the first in a three-book herself has a few suspiciously narrow misses. Although there series. One suspects there is enough material for one excellent are only a few serious candidates, Maddie must winkle out the novel in those three volumes. truth before she becomes the next victim. Timely, fascinating idea. Confounding execution. Driven by its quirky characters, this series offers plenty of whimsy but not much mystery.

| kirkus.com | science fiction & fantasy | 1 january 2019 | 39 Daniel Cumberland was born free in Massachusetts, but romance his education and professional status did not protect him from being kidnapped and sold into slavery, an experience that destroyed his faith in God, country, and himself even after he’s MYSTIC rescued. At night, memories of his time in captivity haunt him, Brooks, Cheryl but by day he is a detective with the Loyal League, one of the Sourcebooks Casablanca (384 pp.) North’s most important spy rings. Daniel is ruthless and heart- $7.99 paper | Jan. 29, 2019 less, motivated by an all-consuming thirst for vengeance that 978-1-4926-6163-4 sets him apart even from his fellow spies, with their naïve optimism that the war can bring about a better life for people of all Intrigue, science, and a charm- races. Janeta Sanchez had lived a pampered and privileged life ing feline alien combine in this sci-fi as the daughter of a Cuban plantation owner who had settled romance as an anthropology student in Florida. But when Yankee soldiers imprison her father and searches for a medical miracle. quarter themselves in her home, she agrees to travel to Ohio to As part of the Zetithian race, a feline infiltrate the Loyal League and spy for the Confederate cause. and human extraterrestrial hybrid, Aidan In unfamiliar terrain, where others’ perceptions clash with her Banadänsk has the ability to see visions. self-image, Janeta “was coming to understand both her place Sometimes they are prophetic, and at other times they signal in this country and her own inner geography better; she was an event that requires his intervention. When he sees a young recharting the map of herself.” Cole conveys the ways Janeta’s woman named Sula Enduran plummeting into a ravine, he’s and Daniel’s layered identities pose challenges while affording unsure of which type of vision it is. His only solution is to find them strengths of insight and character. Cole weaves a tense her and figure out how he fits into her life. Sula is still reeling and gripping plot into a tapestry of fascinating and authentic from the sudden and unexplainable death of her boyfriend, Raj, historical detail, told from the distinct perspectives of people after he contracted a disease that was long thought to be elimi- of color, without skimping on the growing feelings and strong nated. Now, Sula is searching for a cure, and she’s desperate to desires that bring two lovers together. keep her plans to herself. While she graciously accepts Aidan’s Forbidden attraction and the threat of betrayal are the help—seeing as he saved her life—she’s wary of sharing too initial hooks for what turns out to be a sumptuously writ- much of her research. Having it fall into the wrong hands could ten and meticulously researched tale of a country at war be disastrous, but Aidan’s connections prove too beneficial to with itself and two damaged people who find themselves pass up. What Sula doesn’t expect is to find herself falling in in each other’s arms. love with the Zetithian, especially while she’s on a mission to avenge her former lover. The setting Brooks (Maverick, 2018, etc.) creates is confusing at best: a litany of fictional planet TEMPT ME WITH DIAMONDS names, unfamiliar alien races, and out-of-place modern refer- Feather, Jane ences to Indiana Jones and Indian food. It’s hard to get a grip on Zebra (304 pp.) how the galaxy functions in relation to Earth, leaving readers $7.99 paper | Jan. 29, 2019 to figure it all out with the vague hints they’re given. Though 978-1-4201-4360-7 Aidan and Sula get their happily-ever-after, their connection lacks believability. Their attraction is palpable (perhaps too In this series debut, the heiress to a much, as Sula frequently lapses into thoughts about the well- diamond mine discovers that her unwel- known sexual prowess of the Zetithians), but their lust never come houseguest has a legitimate claim seems to evolve into something satisfying. to her estate—and to her heart. Bewildering. Diana Sommerville is surprised to find Rupert Lacey, her late brother’s best friend—and her ex-fiance—in her Cav- AN UNCONDITIONAL endish Square mansion. The last time she saw Rupert, he was FREEDOM in South Africa, where he and Jem had helped the English army Cole, Alyssa protect her family’s diamond mine before Jem was killed in bat- Kensington (320 pp.) tle. “Pointless to die in a war over diamonds and gold,” Diana $15.95 paper | Feb. 26, 2019 remarks. And she would be married by now if Rupert hadn’t 978-1-4967-0748-2 betrayed her. Now, Rupert tells her, they will have to share the mansion, since Jem left half the estate to him and he does not The third book in Cole’s (A Duke by intend to move out. To avoid a scandal, Diana enlists the help of Default, 2018, etc.) Civil War–era Loyal her friends Petra and Fenella to pretend that she and Rupert are League series pairs a broken man bent already married until the two of them can reach an agreement on retribution with an inexperienced but on how to divide the assets. Inhabited by a horse named Kim- courageous double agent. berly Diamond and a pair of dogs named Hera and Hercules,

40 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A ruined lady dresses as a man to be hired as a tutor and falls in love with her employer and his two sons. governess gone rogue

the house has more sentimental than financial value for Diana. GOVERNESS GONE ROGUE But as her old feelings resurface, heated arguments with Rupert Guhrke, Laura Lee over how to run the estate get even hotter in the bedroom. Avon/HarperCollins (384 pp.) Rupert, ever the gentleman squatter, tries to win Diana’s heart $7.99 paper | Jan. 29, 2019 with honesty and consideration. But just like she did with the 978-0-06-285369-1 estate, Diana makes him work for what’s already his. For the girl who has everything—diamonds, a mansion, A ruined lady dresses as a man to be a racehorse—finding someone to share it with is the best hired as a tutor and falls in love with her gift of all. A solid start to the series. employer and his two sons—but her past casts a long shadow. Before being notoriously seduced DUCHESS BY DECEPTION and maligned by an aristocrat, Amanda Force, Marie Leighton loved being a teacher. Unable to find another posi- Zebra/Kensington (320 pp.) tion, she is piqued to hear a nobleman claim that “no woman $7.99 paper | Jan. 29, 2019 can prepare a boy for Harrow and Cambridge.” Desperate, she 978-1-4201-4785-8 disguises herself as a man to apply to tutor the gentleman’s infamously naughty twin sons despite the unwritten rule that On the eve of his 30th birthday, “women, alas, could not be tutors, not to boys. It wasn’t done.” Derek Eagen, the Duke of Westwood, Amanda, as “Mr. Seton,” soon has the boys settled into a routine having failed to find a wife, is prepared and engaged in her lively lessons, but it’s not too long before

to lose his title and land. Then he meets, their father, Jamie, realizes she’s a woman. The boys are already young adult falls for, and weds Catherine McCabe attached to her, though, and convince him to let her stay as their without disclosing his status as an aristo- governess “Miss Seton.” Jamie and Amanda are attracted to each crat. Will mistaken identity drive them other, but Amanda realizes her sordid past would threaten his apart before their love story even begins? position as a Member of Parliament. She also believes he’s When Derek meets Catherine for the first time, she’s still devoted to his dead wife. Jamie knows Amanda has suf- dressed in men’s clothing and digging for something on his fered unwelcome attention from previous employers, plus property. When he confronts her, she faints, and Derek nurses he’s acutely aware that Amanda has brought order and joy to her back to health. When she wakes up, she confesses that she is his household, so he doesn’t want to jeopardize the status quo looking for a key her grandmother buried years ago—and men- despite his growing feelings. However, when Amanda’s past tions that she distrusts the aristocracy. In order to learn more threatens everyone’s happiness, it forces Jamie and the boys to about her, the duke pretends to be his own estate manager and clarify their feelings and stand up for her in unexpected, heart- offers to help her find her grandmother’s key. He learns that she warming ways. Guhrke continues her delightful Lady Truelove has run away from her family, which, having recently ascended series with similar charm, creating another irrepressible hero- to the ranks of the aristocracy upon the death of her father’s ine and making another nod to the frightful historical disparity older brother and nephew, has promised her hand to a viscount between women’s and men’s freedoms but adding two ador- 30 years her senior. Derek and Catherine quickly fall in love and able kids and a gentleman who needs to be reminded of what’s are married just a few days before the duke’s 30th birthday—his important—à la Mary Poppins—to the mix. deadline to find a wife or forfeit his title. When Catherine finds A clever, sexy, and endearing historical romance. out that she’s been tricked into marrying a member of the gen- try, she finds his dishonesty unforgivable. A side story involving Catherine’s sister, a flu epidemic, and a death scare are among THE WHOLE PACKAGE the things that keep the story moving, though each problem is Harte, Marie solved so quickly and/or easily that readers might struggle to Sourcebooks Casablanca (352 pp.) maintain interest. The sex is plentiful if somewhat inconsistent, $7.99 paper | Jan. 29, 2019 including an encounter that happens in spite of a pretty clear 978-1-4926-7044-5 lack of consent. Insta-love, a contrived plot, and florid dialogue might Reid Griffith and Naomi Starr are leave all but Force’s (Fatal Invasion, 2018, etc.) hardcore fans married to their jobs, but a mutually wanting. beneficial relationship quickly blossoms both in the office and in the bedroom. Reid’s moving company, Vets on the Go!, is a small but successful enterprise that quickly takes off after his brother, Cash, is caught on camera saving a kid and foiling a robbery. Reid has always been concerned with responsibility and doing the right thing as a son, a brother, a soldier, and now as the

| kirkus.com | romance | 1 january 2019 | 41 owner of a business that helps vets adjust to civilian life. Naomi, THE ONE YOU of Starr PR, is managing on her own after having left her former FIGHT FOR job and a relationship with her boss when her success proved Loren, Roni a threat to both. After seeing footage of Cash’s heroic rescue, Sourcebooks Casablanca (416 pp.) Naomi sets up a meeting and offers her services to Reid, whom $7.99 paper | Jan. 1, 2019 she is immediately attracted to. While dealing with the chem- 978-1-4926-5146-8 istry between them and their respective workloads, Reid and Naomi are also juggling outside complications. Reid’s mother A school shooting survivor, Dr. Taryn passes away, and he and Cash are left to deal with the practi- Landry has devoted her life to preventing calities of death as well as their grief. Naomi is forced to work teen violence, but just as she’s launching alongside her ex-boyfriend/boss when they’re both hired by a promising new program, unexpected a firm she’s hungry to work with. The sex is hot enough, and obstacles arise, and a sexy trainer she’s Harte is to be applauded for an attempt to normalize safer sex working with harbors secrets that might and good communication about boundaries, but those are by derail everything she’s worked for. far the highlights of the book. The conflicts are a little superfi- After a disastrous first date, Taryn finds herself at open mic cial and either easily or unsatisfactorily resolved. night at a bar. She sings her heart out and finds herself revisit- There’s enough plot and strong writing to make it reading teenage dreams only to have an anxiety attack at the end, able but not enough substance to make it memorable. landing in the arms of Lucas, a sexy stranger who helps her out then disappears. Both disappointed and relieved, she reminds herself that she doesn’t have time to hang out in bars or meet CRAZY CUPID LOVE sexy but mysterious men for coffee, because she has to focus Heger, Amanda on her research and the program she’s presenting to the local Sourcebooks Casablanca (416 pp.) school board, designed to target potentially harmful teens and $7.99 paper | Jan. 29, 2019 get them the support they need before they turn violent. How- 978-1-4926-7275-3 ever, her resolve falters when her best friend guilt trips her into starting an exercise plan and she discovers her trainer is none In a modern and magical world other than the sexy good Samaritan. The two share an explo- where Greek myths are very real, one sive attraction, though he rebuffs her advances until he finally matchmaking Cupid learns to harness admits that he’s actually Shaw Miller, the brother of one of the her powers of enchantment. shooters who attacked her school. Entering into a secretive Eliza Herman comes from a long affair, they both realize it can’t last, but that doesn’t keep them line of Cupids, or as she prefers, Erosians. from growing more intense even as Taryn’s career is threatened. Unfortunately, she’s a Cupid who hates Loren continues her breathtaking The Ones Who Got Away romance after experiencing years of embarrassing accidents. Injur- series with another Long Acre shooting survivor who finds love ing a person makes them susceptible to falling in love with the first with a problematic partner and who must rediscover who she person they see, and, sadly, Eliza is a top-notch klutz. But when is as she fights for her happiness. Taryn risks her livelihood and her parents’ Cupid agency is in dire straits, due to the ever evolv- the good will of her family when she falls for Shaw, but in exploring matchmaking technology and her father’s sudden heart attack, ing their relationship, Loren deftly and elegantly explores guilt Eliza is willing to strap on her Cupid bow for the sake of helping and forgiveness as Taryn learns to truly open her heart to Shaw them out. Temporarily. Because Eliza is a little rusty and never and his love. fully finished getting her Cupid license, she needs a mentor: Jake Extraordinary. Sanders, fellow Cupid and former childhood best friend. Heger (Semi-Scripted, 2016, etc.) creates a light, bubbly, heart-filled environment in present-day California that will tickle any reader who THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND has a weakness for mythology. However, some of the more integral THE DUKE details regarding the nuts and bolts of Cupid-ing are absent; the MacGregor, Janna worldbuilding takes a while to fully coalesce. The romance is ador- St. Martin’s (368 pp.) able, though, with Jake first surprising Eliza with her favorite child- $7.99 paper | Nov. 27, 2018 hood snack, Dunk-A-Roos—discontinued in the U.S.—which 978-1-250-29597-2 he’s brought back from Canada for her. As the black sheep, Eliza has a bittersweet relationship with her family. She longs for their All a spinster wants for Christmas is a approval, but the success of her twin brother, Elijah, in the fam- charming rake to call her own. ily business often makes her feel invisible. Because the majority of Paul Barstowe, the Duke of Southart, the action lies in establishing a contemporary Cupid mythos, the was a dissolute second son known for his growing relationship between the main characters suffers at times. disreputable behavior. The deaths of his Still, the cheekiness is positively infectious. father and elder brother days apart gave An effervescent, pick-me-up romance. him the title and a new determination to change his ways. To

42 | 1 january 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | start burnishing his reputation, he bids on a property where he readers to the multilayered, nuanced portrayal of Chi-Town, hopes to establish a charity hospital, but temptation arrives in from Lilí’s posh condo in the Loop to the working-class neigh- the form of heiress Lady Daphne Hallworth, the sister of Paul’s borhoods Diego patrols to the middle-class suburb of Oakton best friend–turned-enemy. Home Alone style, Daphne is aban- where the Fernandez sisters were raised. New readers will have doned in London by her family in their rush to depart for the no trouble jumping in, although the action picks up right where Christmas holidays. She decides to get started investing her for- the second book ended. Oliveras (Her Perfect Affair, 2018, etc.) tune and energies to found a charitable home for unwed moth- tackles domestic violence and substance use disorder with ers. Interest in the same property puts Paul and Daphne in close nuance and empathy, though at times her depiction is limited proximity, as does the loss of her reticule containing a journal in by genre requirements, as when Lilí and Diego smolder at each which she shared not only her family’s secrets, but some of her other over a crime scene. own, including a longing, since childhood, for the handsome A surfeit of mental lusting only slightly mars a rich Paul. Daphne’s trust in Paul to help her avoid scandal shocks romance between two very different Chicagoans of Puerto him. As they become closer, “Something shifted within him. A Rican descent whose clashes over social justice are less crack opened up, allowing a want to crawl out from the depths important than their love of music, family, and each other. of his soiled soul and emerge, shaking every manacle free.” Mac- Gregor (The Luck of the Bride, 2018, etc.) weaves a compelling story redeeming Paul from rakish behavior depicted in previous installments of The Cavensham Heiresses. Paul works his way back into the good graces of his family and friends as Daphne discovers her independence and strength beyond the genteel,

circumspect, and invisible good sister and good daughter she young adult has always been. MacGregor’s prose is wordier and her plotting more leisurely than necessary, but Paul and Daphne are very appealing characters. A rake is redeemed and a spinster unspun in a sweet historical romance.

THEIR PERFECT MELODY Oliveras, Priscilla Zebra (352 pp.) $4.99 paper | Nov. 27, 2018 978-1-4201-4430-7

A tough Chicago cop can’t stop thinking about the softhearted victims’ advocate who drives him crazy in ways both good and bad. Lilí, the youngest of the three close- knit Fernandez sisters, is a victims’ advocate at a clinic on Chicago’s West Side. After experiencing some difficult times, she is determined to help those who suffer from injustice, especially women and children. Her caring approach clashes with the hard-nosed tactics of cop Diego Reyes, who has seen it all and doubts that violent offenders can change. Despite clashing professionally, Lilí and Diego are attracted to one another, an attraction that deepens when they realize they share a love of music. Diego plays classical guitar, while Lilí once danced and sang with her father’s trio. They both believe that “Familia primero”: “The faraway, almost blissful expression on Diego’s face as he spoke about his mami was like a lasso looped around Lilí, drawing her to him. It spoke of a kindred yearning for those who had shaped their lives, and continued to do so, even though they were no longer with them.” Lilí’s loving, boisterous family entices Diego, but he has familial secrets, keeping him frustratingly elusive. The third entry in Oliveras’ Matched to Perfection series returns

| kirkus.com | romance | 1 january 2019 | 43 nonfiction GO AHEAD IN These titles earned the Kirkus Star: THE RAIN Notes to A Tribe GO AHEAD IN THE RAIN by Hanif Abdurraqib...... 44 Called Quest Abdurraqib, Hanif CHAMBER MUSIC by Will Ashon...... 46 Univ. of Texas (216 pp.) $16.95 paper | Feb. 1, 2019 LOVE AND RESISTANCE Ed. by Jason Baumann; 978-1-4773-1648-1 photos by Kay Tobin Lahusen and Diana Davies...... 47 Memoir meets cultural criticism in THE BACK CHANNEL by William J. Burns...... 50 this bittersweet appreciation of hip-hop visionaries A Tribe Called Quest. AN AMERICAN SUMMER by Alex Kotlowitz...... 64 Poet and essayist Abdurraqib (They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, 2017, etc.) avoids the temptation to oversell his subject SPROUT LANDS by William Bryant Logan...... 64 while maintaining a tricky structural balance. He somehow does full justice to the musical achievements of Q-Tip and his crew, to REVOLUTIONARY by Robert L. O’Connell...... 68 the influence of the musical world on this singular group, and to how deeply the experience permeated the young fan who might FIGURING by Maria Popova...... 69 not have become a writer—and certainly not this writer—without their inspiration. In recent years, the author found himself HELP ME! by Marianne Power...... 70 with students as young as he once was who, as contemporary hip-hop fans, “had never heard of A Tribe Called Quest, and THE MASTERMIND by Evan Ratliff...... 71 then, later, only knew them as a phoenix, risen from the ashes.” There was a 17-year interval between albums, and by the time CHINA’S INVISIBLE CRISIS by Scott Rozelle & Natalie Johnson.....72 what appears to be the last one was released in 2016, friendships had frayed and a crucial collaborator had died. This is a history THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS of how two boyhood friends, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, teamed up by Edward Wilson-Lee...... 79 (though the former overshadowed the latter), how they differed from each other, and how they needed each other. Some of the book takes the form of letters from Abdurraqib to each of them AN AMERICAN and to others. Elsewhere, the author chronicles the progression SUMMER of rap and how the way that Dr. Dre challenged Q-Tip was simi- Love and Death lar to the way that the Beatles pushed Brian Wilson, as well as in Chicago how the East-West synergy later turned vicious and dangerous. Kotlowitz, Alex “It is much easier to determine when rap music became political Talese/Doubleday and significantly more difficult to pinpoint when it became dan- (304 pp.) gerous,” writes Abdurraqib toward the beginning of the book, $27.95 | Mar. 5, 2019 a somewhat inexplicable pronouncement that he proceeds to 978-0-385-53880-0 explicate and elucidate over the rest. Even those who know little about the music will learn much of significance here, perhaps learning how to love it in the process.

44 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | Full of vivid detail and emotion, this compelling memoir captures the ache of a young child desperate for safety and security. the broken circle

THE BROKEN CIRCLE interviewing men and women living openly gay lives in settings A Memoir of Escaping outside of the usual urban gay meccas. The resulting book, In Afghanistan Search of Gay America, is a clear precursor for the present volume Ahmadi-Miller, Enjeela by Allen (Love & Estrogen, 2018), a GLAAD Award–winning jour- Little A (288 pp.) nalist who covers LGBT issues for the Daily Beast. Despite some $24.95 | Mar. 1, 2019 progress over the last several years, discrimination and human 978-1-5039-0378-4 rights violations continue to plague the LGBT community, particularly in rural regions within red states. The author traveled Looking back on her perilous flight from Provo, Utah, where she attended Brigham Young University, from Soviet-invaded Afghanistan in 1980, to locations in Texas, Bloomington, Indiana, where she met her Ahmadi-Miller re-creates a child’s terror wife at the Kinsey Institute, as well as Tennessee and other spots and loyalty to her family. in the South. Along the way, she reacquainted herself with friends One of eight children in a wealthy family in Kabul, the and mentors from her past or recent social media contacts, many author remembers her enchanted childhood before war as a of whom are also transgender. Readers old enough to recall the time of “fun and camaraderie.” Her father, Padar, an engineer memorable profiles captured in Miller’s book might expect a by training, worked at the American Embassy down the street similar approach here, at least based on the book’s summary and from their house in the Karte Seh neighborhood and also as a the author’s journalist credentials. However, Allen tells a more landowner. His elegant wife, Miriam, was “a modern woman” personal story relating to her own transformational experience, who sewed beautiful clothes for the children, although she had which, while often instructive, pulls attention away from the a heart problem that would require her to leave for an operation fascinating individuals she encountered on her trip. Though she

in India. As one of the youngest, Ahmadi-Miller adored her older generously acknowledges the strong work they are doing within young adult sisters, who had suitors and fine clothes. As the author records their communities and sheds meaningful light on the progress in this fluid text, she grew up in the 1970s, which was “one of the achieved within these red-state regions, she doesn’t allow their most prosperous periods in the history of Afghanistan,” when portraits to come into clear focus; all too often their stories revert privileged children of both sexes were allowed to go to school and back to her. By the end of the book, few of these folks will be there were elements of Western mores and gender equality. How- memorable for readers. ever, in the countryside, there still existed devastating poverty While expanding awareness on the efforts being made and staunchly old-fashioned, conservative beliefs, as she would in the LGBT community within red states, this journey discover as they fled to Pakistan. With the violent arrival of the feels somewhat perfunctory, and the narrative rarely sus- socialist, Soviet-backed coup, the family was no longer safe in tains the promise shown in the opening chapters. (16-page Kabul. Padar, a proud, devoted Afghan, was being monitored by 4-color insert) the Soviets and descended into alcoholism; Miriam fled with two of her children to India, leaving the others to fend for themselves. Even as a young child, the author came to the sinking realization RUNNING HOME that “Padar would never leave, and Mommy would never return A Memoir to a country at war” despite Ahmadi-Miller’s ardent hopes that Arnold, Katie she would. The most harrowing section of the narrative concerns Random House (368 pp.) one of the family’s loyal bodyguards and his determination to $27.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 whisk the remaining children into Pakistan without their father. 978-0-425-28465-0 Full of vivid detail and emotion, this compelling memoir captures the ache of a young child desperate for safety A female runner learns more about and security. herself with each race she runs. Arnold, a Santa Fe–based contributing editor at Outside magazine, shares REAL QUEER AMERICA the specifics of her childhood and LGBT Stories from Red States the relationship she had with her father, a photographer for Allen, Samantha National Geographic, a profession she respected even as a child Little, Brown (304 pp.) (“just the thought of this gave me a little shiver of pride”). $27.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 When he fell terminally ill, the author embarked on a search 978-0-316-51603-7 to find out who he really was and why he left her mother when she was a young girl. In meticulous detail, Arnold recounts In a cross-country journey, a trans- the many times she and her sister visited their father over the gender reporter revisits red-state loca- years and the ways in which he pushed her to do more than she tions from her past. thought she could. The first example was a six-mile race she In 1989, before the United States ran at the age of 7, an event that set the author up to be a dedi- was quite as divisively separated into red cated runner for life. She used running to deal with her father’s and blue states, reporter Neil Miller traveled across the country death, to overcome her doubts as a mother, and to find herself

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 45 my 2019 wish list Photo courtesy Leah Overstreet Santa may be gone (thanks for the in each phase of her life. Inviting descriptions of the sur- tube socks!), but I have plenty of re- rounding countryside, the natural highs of extreme exercise, maining literary wishes for 2019: and the pursuit of a peaceful existence balance the monotony of learning how Arnold prepares for each race, each one seem- Concise science books for nonsci- ingly longer than the last. She describes setting personal goals entists: Because the war on science prior to each race and how she pushed through the pain and has rarely been stronger, we need self-doubt to finish. Interwoven with stories of her father more books for those who—like me— and running are the author’s reflections on being a mother of believe wholeheartedly in scientific two girls and life with her husband, who also runs but who gives Arnold the space and freedom to pursue her own goals. pursuits but aren’t ready for a 500- Although overlong, Arnold’s memoir will appeal to runners of page book on quantum mechanics or all types, whether they participate in short-distance races or microbiology. Think Astrophysics for ultralong endurance tests. People in a Hurry, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Sixth A contemplative, soul-searching account of the death Extinction, etc. of the author’s beloved father and how she used long-distance running as a way to heal from the grief. More books from historically marginalized perspectives: Despite the current administration’s conviction that the default “normal” is white, straight, and Chris- CHAMBER MUSIC tian, the U.S., as a whole, is far different in its sociologi- Wu-Tang and America cal and cultural makeup—and a much better place because (in 36 Pieces) Ashon, Will of it. Consequently, we need more books from historically Faber & Faber (380 pp.) marginalized perspectives to counter misinformation and $24.00 | Feb. 19, 2019 provide much-needed education on diversity and inter- 978-0-571-35000-1 sectionality. My colleagues on the children’s and YA side, Vicky Smith and Laura Simeon, are pioneering with the An illumination of hip-hop, race, groundbreaking Kirkus Collections program. Let’s follow religion, and America, through a close reading of an influential debut album. their lead into the new year. On the surface, this book commem- Any book from a New Yorker contributor: Lawrence orates the 25th anniversary of “Enter the Wright, Jill Lepore, Atul Gawande, David Remnick, Roz Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” but there is much beneath the surface, making for a conceptually audacious critical study about Chast, Elif Batuman, Hilton Als, Steve Coll, Ronan Farrow, the conceptual audacity of the Wu-Tang Clan—and well beyond. Dana Goodyear, Adam Gopnik…I could go on for pages. Ashon (Strange Labyrinth: Outlaws, Poets, Mystics, Murderers and I’m not sure I’ve read a mediocre book from any regular a Coward in London’s Great Forest, 2017, etc.) investigates how contributor to the New Yorker. If you can write for them, it avant-garde jazz musicians, whose styles were dismissed at the seems you are capable of writing an acclaimed book. time as nonmusic or anti-music, led to howls from the hip-hop abyss to an even more powerful and popular artistry initially More sports books like Dave Zirin’s Jim Brown: I’m a dismissed as nonmusic: no musical instruments, no conven- huge sports fan, but I shy away from tional melodies, no singing. He also explores how that music many sports-related books because and its culture has since swallowed up the culture at large as they’re too superficial or dry in their well as the affinity that radical black American artists have felt recounting of scores, stats, etc. Zi- for Asia in general and kung fu movies in particular, identifying with the other as it battles cultural oppression. In perhaps rin’s biography included a signifi- the most audacious chapter—or “chamber,” as it references the cant sociological and political ele- title of the Wu-Tang Clan’s debut, which itself references the ment that deepened the narrative title of a kung fu movie—the author declares, “hip hop is a mar- immensely. Granted, Jim Brown’s tial art. That is the key insight of the Wu-Tang Clan....It doesn’t life is a subject that invites fur- share certain practices with a martial art. It actually is a martial ther investigation off the field, but art....The legendary MC and thinker KRS-One describes hip sports biographers could take some hop as ‘a mental survival tool for the oppressed,’ and once you begin to tunnel down into what that might mean, the paral- cues from Zirin’s portrait. —E.L. lels become clear.” Ashon also devotes considerable space to religious esoterica, the pseudoscience of race, guns, and drugs, Eric Liebetrau is the nonfiction and managing editor. recording technology and economics, the Staten Island Indian tribes, and the cultural history of 42nd Street.

46 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | A moving queer tapestry honoring a beleaguered movement’s legacy through art, veneration, and gravitas. love and resistance

Near the end, the author addresses cultural appro- LOVE AND RESISTANCE priation, as well, acknowledging that “this book shouldn’t Out of the Closet into exist”—not by a white author from an ocean’s remove, but, the Stonewall Era “I wrote it anyway, even knowing I shouldn’t.” Hip-hop fans Baumann, Jason—Ed. and anyone interested in the deeper seams of American cul- Photos by Lahusen, Kay Tobin & ture will be glad he did. (b/w photos throughout) Davies, Diana Norton (192 pp.) $24.95 | Mar. 5, 2019 LONG SHOT 978-1-324-00206-2 The Inside Story of the Snipers Who Broke ISIS A pictorial time capsule from the piv- Azad otal days of a budding gay rights movement. Atlantic Monthly (412 pp.) Baumann, coordinator of the New York Public Library’s $26.00 | Feb. 12, 2019 LGBT Initiative, presents a dramatic collection of images, drawn 978-0-8021-2907-9 from the career archives of photo-documentarians Lahusen and Davies, charting the rise of grassroots gay activism from the mid- A gritty account of street com- 1960s to the mid-’70s. It was a time when LGBT activists took to bat against the ruthless fighters of the the streets of New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New Islamic State group. Jersey to creatively and defiantly demonstrate against intolerance In clear, thoughtful prose, Azad and inequality and whose “vision and courage changed our world.”

presents the experiences of many who responded to the jihadi young adult threat in the Middle East. The author volunteered to join the Kurdish resistance against the Islamic State group in Rojava, a region that declared autonomy in the Syrian civil war, becoming an unlikely bulwark against extremism, especially consid- ering their collective decision-making. “In Kobani,” he writes, “between September 2014 and January 2015, two thousand of our men and women stopped ISIS’ twelve thousand. Six months later, we pushed all the jihadis out of Rojava. Our defeat of ISIS set in motion their collapse.” The narrative alternates between the campaign for the town of Kobani and recollections of Azad’s upbringing, during which his progressive family experienced the territorial conflicts and aggression that have long - bedev iled the Kurdish people. Although disillusioned with Iranian rule, Azad was obligated to serve in the military, from which he deserted in 2002, ultimately receiving asylum in the U.K. and learning English. Despite enjoying the West’s openness and opportunity, nearly a decade later he felt compelled to return. “Since my arrival in England,” he writes, “I had abandoned my purpose.” Azad’s small militia gradually secured Kobani despite numerous setbacks. They were aided by coalition air strikes against IS fighters, who were known for routinely committing atrocities. The flexibility of Kurdish defenders—they were able to move the small unit of snipers where most needed—allowed them to gradually seize the military initiative even though many volunteers did not return. “So many of my friends had died,” writes the author, “that I had acquired a new, unwanted duty: to survive, to keep their memories alive.” His ruminative prose reflects the unforgiving chaos of close-quarters battle between ruthless enemies, and he coolly describes the sniper’s isolated, time-consuming experience of combat. A propulsive memoir that captures the grim reality of small-scale conflict and reveals the fragmented politics of the Middle East today.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 47 Lahusen was active in early lesbian solidarity organizations while government policies regarding women serving in combat roles. Davies was best known for chronicling the feminist, peace, and Running throughout the narrative is the author’s palpable sense social justice activism movements of the era. Their photographs, of confusion, dismay, and anger at the way women are treated in accompanied by Baumann’s commentary and descriptions, repre- the military, particularly in the predominantly male domain of sent separate perspectives within a unified theme of LGBT equal- the Marines, and how these feelings affected her life as a civil- ity throughout each of the book’s four sections. “Visibility” displays ian. Her candid story pulls back the curtain on a hidden world images of a wide variety of gays and lesbians in the primes of their in which highly capable women who thrive on the challenge of careers and endeavors; “Love” celebrates the power of community being a soldier are hindered by the men who surround them. and affection in the face of societal hate; “Pride” memorializes the An intense, fierce woman generously shares her sacred queer spaces where activism, collaboration, and solidar- instructive experiences as a Marine and how her service ity flourished; and “Protest” demarcates the demonstrations and time turned her into an activist for women’s rights in the rebellion against rampant gay oppression. Iconic activists like Mar- military. sha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Barbara Gittings, and Ernestine Eck- stein share space with gay writers, artists, performers, and media founders. Haunting and arresting, the photos illustrate a historic SHAMELESS American era when same-sex affection was forbidden in public and A Sexual Reformation considered both a mental illness and an atrocity. A literary celebra- Bolz-Weber, Nadia tion commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the epic Stonewall Convergent/Crown (224 pp.) riots, the book is elegiac yet also provides a reflective and hopeful $25.00 | Feb. 1, 2019 reminder for future generations that change and promise can arise 978-1-60142-758-8 from struggle and sacrifice. Though the book is a reflection of a different age and struggle, it is also timely given that LGBT free- The whip-smart pastor and author doms remain ever endangered within the current political climate. of Accidental Saints: Finding God in All A moving queer tapestry honoring a beleaguered move- the Wrong People (2015) channels Martin ment’s legacy through art, veneration, and gravitas. (116 Luther and calls for the church to reform color photos) its approach to sex. Too many of Bolz-Weber’s congregants have been hurt by Christian teachings about sex: couples who marry as virgins only UNBECOMING to find they can’t “flip a switch” to suddenly approach “sex as joy- Bhagwati, Anuradha ful and natural and God-given”; or middle-aged women who can’t Atria (336 pp.) bring themselves to wear a V-neck because they are haunted by $26.00 | Mar. 26, 2019 teachings about modesty they learned as teens. The author, who 978-1-5011-6254-1 is now divorced, insists that the church should not be more faithful to abstract principles than to people. “If the teachings of the How the challenging, complex world church are harming the bodies and spirits of people,” she writes, of the Marines turned a woman into an “we should rethink those teachings.” Indeed, a healthy attitude activist. toward sex might be more faithful to the Bible’s teachings any- After graduating with honors from way. In the Creation story, notes Bolz-Weber, Adam and Eve were Yale, Bhagwati left her graduate studies told to be fruitful and multiply—“the very first blessing was sex.” at Columbia to join the Marines, a move Among many other issues, the author, a recovering alcoholic and that shocked her stern Indian parents, both of whom were well- former comic, addresses pornography, abortion, and debates respected economists. In this honest and unflinching memoir, about transgender bathroom use. Consistent with the title, Bolz- the author briefly chronicles her early years before moving on to Weber wants readers to feel unashamed about their bodies even share the highs and lows of her time as a Marine. She discusses as she invites them to grieve the moments in their sexual histories the brutal physicality of the training and how she pushed herself where they have been hurt or caused hurt. She also writes straight- as far as she could in order to excel at every level. She often out- forwardly about desire: “I know that when I see my lover, some- competed the men in her unit and loved the strength she found thing within me uncoils...a wildness, part velvet, part forest fire.” deep inside herself. Bhagwati also bares the details of the sexual Not exactly the usual stuff of Christian sex books—and that’s a harassment she and other female Marines experienced, a situa- good thing. Throughout, the author’s voice is inviting, as is the tion that was—and still is—commonplace in many areas of the narrative layout: Homiletical reflections on scriptural themes armed forces. When she left the Marines, she realized her career are set in clearly separated boxes, and illustrations—e.g., a risible had left invisible yet permanent scars; she suffered from depres- page from a Christian workbook that details the kinds of cosmet- sion, low self-esteem, and a lack of sexual desire, among other ics and speech that increase femininity—make the book an easy, ailments. Like other veterans, she turned to the VA for support, enjoyable read. where she received mixed results. This led Bhagwati to start the Sure to be helpful to many readers and just as sure to be Service Women’s Action Network, which advocates for military controversial. sexual harassment victims, and she also helped change some

48 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | YOU CAN’T GO WRONG and ’40s, Brown endured a hardscrabble childhood under the DOING RIGHT love and tutelage of his compassionate grandmother “Mama,” How a Child of Poverty Rose Miss Nellie Brown. “Whether singing in our church’s gospel to the White House and choir or canning vegetables,” writes the author, “she called out Helped Change the World Jesus with the best of them and she set our moral compasses Brown, Robert J. with lessons from the Bible.” After a stint in local law enforce- Convergent/Crown (240 pp.) ment, the author landed a job in New York as a federal narcotics $26.00 | Jan. 15, 2019 agent, launching a series of events that would lead to his meeting 978-1-5247-6278-0 with King in 1958 and later executing a staged narcotics buy for the “Senate Rackets Committee’s top lawyer,” Robert F. Ken- A memoir from one of the most nedy. With greater ambitions, Brown moved back to his home understated yet pivotal players in the state and founded the public relations firm B&C International, history of American civil rights. which become the anchor of his significant role as a race-rela- While most of his work occurred outside of the spotlight, tions liaison between the black and white communities—busi- Brown has left a deep imprint on the history of the African- ness, political, or otherwise. Among his many achievements, American struggle for equality. Oft-identified as a close friend the author chronicles his five years working as special assistant of Martin Luther King Jr. and “the only person allowed to visit to President Richard Nixon, a job in which he developed the Nelson Mandela” during his Cape Town imprisonment, the pivotal Office of Minority Business Enterprise. Throughout author fleshes out a lifetime studded with important experi- the volume, weaving together the stories of milestones personal ences. Growing up in the Jim Crow North Carolina of the 1930s and cultural, Brown continually falls back on the echoes of his young adult

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 49 A former U.S. ambassador to Russia and career Foreign Service officer delivers a resounding defense of American diplomacy and the need for negotiation in a non–zero-sum world. the back channel

grandmother, whose wisdom included the mantra, “you can MR. PRESIDENT, HOW LONG find good anywhere, and you can do good everywhere.” MUST WE WAIT? A humble and timely book that speaks to an era of Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, sweeping change and a reminder that faith and love are and the Fight for the Right to two of the best weapons to counter hatred. Vote Cassidy, Tina 37 Ink/Atria (304 pp.) THE BACK CHANNEL $28.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 A Memoir of American 978-1-5011-7776-7 Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal A remarkable tale of the woman who Burns, William J. drove the fight for women’s suffrage. Random House (512 pp.) Former Boston Globe journalist Cassidy (Jackie After O: One $32.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 Remarkable Year When Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Defied Expec 978-0-525-50886-1 tations and Rediscovered Her Dreams, 2012, etc.), now chief content officer for InkHouse, chronicles the life of Alice A former U.S. ambassador to Russia Paul (1885-1977), a Quaker from New Jersey who became and career Foreign Service officer delivers one of the leaders in the struggle for women’s rights in the a resounding defense of American diplo- early 1900s—and beyond. She was the daughter of a wealthy macy and the need for negotiation in a non–zero-sum world. banker and earned multiple graduate degrees. While she was Diplomacy involves considerable skills that seem little in studying social justice in Birmingham, England, she was pro- evidence in the current White House, requiring of its practitio- foundly moved by the “suffragettes” Christabel Pankhurst ners “smart policy judgment, language skills, and a sure feel for and her mother, Emmeline. Raised to expect equality for all, the foreign landscapes in which they serve and the domestic pri- she stayed in London and joined the fight. She was arrested orities they represent.” There is also the matter of what Burns, multiple times in six months, went on a hunger strike, and now the president of the Carnegie Endowment for Interna- suffered permanent physical damage from force-feeding. Run- tional Peace, calls “strategic adaptation,” the ability to read the ning parallel to Paul’s story, Cassidy gives us the background winds and adjust course to accommodate the tack one’s inter- of the suffragist’s biggest stumbling block, Woodrow Wilson. locutor is taking. Consider Vladimir Putin, a man who leaves Born in Georgia at the end of the Civil War, his father, a min- Burns unimpressed. By the author’s account, Putin was none ister, authored a booklet outlining his misguided argument for too happy when the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union col- how the Bible condones slavery. Wilson’s outlook was firmly lapsed, and part of his program seems to be to get both up and fixed along those lines, and he even said, “universal suffrage is running again. At the same time, for all his wiles, Putin is capa- at the foundation of every evil in this country.” He cast him- ble of misreading situations, as he certainly did after 9/11, when self as a progressive, but that didn’t include women or blacks. the Bush administration proved “indifferent to Putin’s calculus, Paul joined the fight for equality in America, a struggle that and generally disinclined to concede or pay much attention to a was not as confrontational as England’s but just as dedicated. power in strategic decline.” Some of the most newsworthy ele- While those in charge fought for states’ resolutions, she felt an ments of this book, in fact, involve how the State Department amendment to the Constitution was absolutely necessary. To crafted a response to 9/11, if one that largely went ignored. One say Paul was the driving force is not an exaggeration. She was might understand how Putin might feel inclined to angle for an tireless, always sure of her tactics and willing to endure many American leader who would serve his interests. Enter Donald setbacks, arrests, and Wilson’s continued obstinacy. Dedi- Trump. If Burns is evenhanded and careful, glad to praise Colin cated women like Inez Milholland, Alva Belmont, and Lucy Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton alike for their Burns stood right beside her. successes in service, he clearly reckons Trump to be a disaster This book should be required reading until Alice Paul for American foreign policy. Still, he persists: Burns believes becomes a household name. She not only fought for vot- that “diplomacy is one of our nation’s biggest assets and best- ing rights and the 19th Amendment; she kept fighting for kept secrets. However battered and belittled in the age of another 50 years. Trump, it has never been a more necessary tool of first resort for a new century.” Excellent reading for students of contemporary geopolitics and recent American history.

50 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | QUEEN BEY through unexpected life changes. Nigerian author and speaker A Celebration of the Power Luvvie Ajayi rhapsodizes over the singer’s immense cultural and Creativity of Beyoncé influence and celebrates her memorable, career-defining- per Knowles-Carter formance at the 2018 Coachella Festival. Data journalist Mer- Chambers, Veronica—Ed. edith Broussard’s graphic biography of “Bey” vividly combines St. Martin’s (240 pp.) art and geographical statistics. The perspectives Chambers $27.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 assembles are delightfully manifold and aptly representative 978-1-250-20052-5 of Beyoncé as a veteran entertainer and an influential cultural icon transcending age and social status. YouTube sensation Kid A diverse chorus of voices praises the Fury commends Beyoncé on how much her inclusive produc- acclaimed songstress and cultural icon. tions have consistently impacted the gay community. Other Chambers (The Go-Between, 2017, etc.), contributors examine Beyoncé’s referential, allusive artistry, her the editor of the New York Times archival storytelling team, who, evolving feminism, her Instagram account, and career compari- in addition to her own books, has co-authored books by Michael sons to the upper echelon of female rappers, and there are fair- Strahan, Timbaland, Robin Roberts, Eric Ripert, and Marcus minded criticisms of her “Formation” and “Lemonade” albums. Samuelsson, collects essays from distinguished professionals in Collectively, these well-balanced essays amplify the popularity entertainment, media, and social activism. In an introduction and reach of Beyoncé’s music and persona across generations celebrating the “fire in her belly, the almost otherworldly level of women (and men). The anthology closes with award-winning of focus and ambition in her eyes,” Chambers lauds Beyoncé’s journalist Caroline Clarke attesting that while perfectionism “soundtrack of power and possibility,” which buoyed the editor can be a common trap for girls, when it is applied to superstars young adult

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 51 like Beyoncé, it makes her “a pretty damn good role model for Cox’s memoir, written in the early 1980s and posthumously my daughter or anyone, including me.” With such a dynamic published, provides a plainspoken account of a transformative ensemble of opinions and reflections, the collection will be moment in history and Cox’s own journey from commercial sweet reading not just for Beyoncé’s superfans, but also for photographer to committed revolutionary. His daughter Kim- activists, feminists, and budding vocalists. berly Cox Marshall provides a loving foreword (“Daddy, I kept An uplifting and resounding ovation. (two 8-page color the title you wanted”), and publisher Steve Wasserman offers inserts) further context in his introduction, describing the author’s work “as Field Marshal in charge of weapons procurement, gunrunning, and planning armed attacks and defense” as well JUST ANOTHER NIGGER as “his star turn as a party spokesman raising money at the My Life in the Black Manhattan home of Leonard Bernstein.” Cox recalls a taste Panther Party for nonconformity from an upbringing in Missouri and Cali- Cox, Don fornia, but his radicalism coincided with the 1965 Watts upris- Heyday (256 pp.) ing. “I admit to having felt joy—joy and pride at seeing blacks $28.00 | Feb. 1, 2019 finally saying, with their actions, that they were fed up.” In 978-1-59714-459-9 1967, he positively impressed founding Black Panthers David Hilliard and Huey Newton, and he discloses early plans for An unapologetic firsthand account ambushes of police to serve as a blow against race-based bru- of the Black Panthers during their turbu- tality. The group seemed both righteous and practical in their lent prime. outlook, but circumstances spiraled out of control following

52 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | violent skirmishes and Newton’s arrest. With key leaders in book pulls them into the limelight yet again, where they can jail or killed in police shootouts, surviving members pursued be addressed by a new generation of parents and girls. a Marxist-Leninist ideology of rigid purification. Cox docu- Practical solutions backed by solid research that will ments plenty of internecine drama as he rose through the help many girls overcome their high levels of stress and ranks, culminating in his visit to the fugitive Eldridge Cleaver, anxiety. who “told me [Hilliard] had sent me to Algiers for them to kill me!” About his 1972 resignation, the author ruefully concludes, “many of the conspiracy cases brought against the party were due to our own mistakes and excessive zeal whenever a police agent was discovered in our ranks.” The narrative is intimate and exciting, although Cox seems too close to events: He elides some peoples’ identities and makes arcane references to late-1960s radicalism, such as the conflict between the Pan- thers and black nationalists. Despite flaws, a valuable primary-source recollection from an incendiary time.

UNDER PRESSURE Confronting the Epidemic of

Stress and Anxiety in Girls young adult Damour, Lisa Ballantine (288 pp.) $27.00 | Feb. 12, 2019 978-0-399-18005-7

New insight into the old issue of teen girls suffering stress and anxiety. Adolescent girls have always struggled with anxiety, but it’s even more of an issue now with the rise of social media, cyberbullying, and the cutthroat competition to get into elite universities across the country. Damour (Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, 2016), an adolescence columnist for the New York Times and director of the Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls, re-examines this problem through real-case scenarios taken from her private practice as a clinical psychologist and her work at her all-girls school. The author helps readers identify key areas where girls may be feeling pressure: home, school, in their relationships with their peers and with boys, and with the culture at large. In readily accessible and easily assimilated prose, Damour first explains how some stress and anxiety is actually good for a girl, as it pushes her out of her comfort zone, forcing her to stretch and reach beyond her safety level to new stages of development. It’s when this stress becomes overwhelming that it becomes a problem, and here the author jumps into the many arenas where this is an issue. She discusses the difference between healthy competition and aggressive behavior in school academics, how most girls need more sleep, and how they can protect themselves and each other from sexual harassment. She explains how to build downtime into a hec- tic schedule so that when things go awry, as they inevitably do, it doesn’t lead to a serious mental and emotional collapse. She also makes many other common-sense suggestions to help parents help their daughters in these highly competitive times. Although few of these issues are new, Damour’s instructive

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 53 A gripping memoir about a gay man with feet in India and the U.S. as well as a book about how to put together a life. an indefinite sentence

AN INDEFINITE SENTENCE various gay coming-of-age moments—e.g., the first time he was A Personal History of tested for HIV and his encounter with a Keith Haring mural, Outlawed Love and Sex which “hit me with the force that Picasso’s Guernica had.” Equally Dube, Siddharth affecting is Dube’s inquiry into the ways in which his personal Atria (384 pp.) and professional lives have intersected. For example, he under- $28.00 | Jan. 8, 2019 took research into the unfolding HIV crisis in India at a time 978-1-5011-5847-6 when female sex workers were in the bull’s-eye of HIV discourse in India. They had, Dube writes, “spared us blame and persecu- A public health visionary gets personal tion for carrying the ‘gay plague,’ ” and the author had a kinship with a powerful exploration of “the beguil- with them—like him, they knew what it was like to feel like an ing possibilities of gender beyond the con- outcast. Yet in his policy writing, he “deliberately chose to keep ventional bipolarity of male and female, silent about what I knew for a fact, that a significant proportion and the mysterious, limitless permutations of sexual desire.” of Indian men were having unprotected sex with other men, thus World Policy Institute senior fellow Dube (Sex, Lies, and putting themselves at risk of contracting HIV.” Dube also offers AIDS, 2001, etc.) was born in Calcutta and is known for his work insights into the trials of love and of middle age. His account on poverty and AIDS. In this memoir, published in India in 2015, of the end of a long-term relationship—with its pitch-perfect he recounts his journey to come out as a young gay man in India description of two people who still love each other who can’t and America and his efforts to find a loving relationship in midlife. admit they are breaking up—will resonate with many readers. Much of the book, which begins when the author was 10 in 1971, A gripping memoir about a gay man with feet in India reads like a novel, and he delivers many moving descriptions of and the U.S. as well as a book about how to put together a life.

54 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | THE AGITATOR OUR HISTORY IS THE FUTURE William Bailey and the Standing Rock Versus the First American Uprising Dakota Access Pipeline, Against Nazism and the Long Tradition of Duffy, Peter Indigenous Resistance PublicAffairs (288 pp.) Estes, Nick $28.00 | Mar. 19, 2019 Verso (288 pp.) 978-1-5417-6231-2 $26.95 | Feb. 26, 2019 978-1-78663-672-0 A biography of an important 20th- century activist who was one of the first A touching and necessary manifesto to stand up to “the well-publicized injus- and history featuring firsthand accounts tices of the Third Reich.” of the recent Indigenous uprising against powerful oil companies. The subject of Duffy’s (Double Agent: The First Hero of World In this carefully researched and much-needed history of set- War II and How the FBI Outwitted and Destroyed a Nazi Spy Ring, tler colonialism in the United States, Estes (American Studies/ 2014, etc.) latest is Bill Bailey (1915-1995), a merchant seaman Univ. of New Mexico)—a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe with little formal education who joined the American Commu- and co-founder of the Red Nation, “an organization dedicated nist Party as a teenager and became increasingly angry about the to Native liberation”—is particularly focused on the resistance U.S. government appeasing Hitler during his rise to power and efforts of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota nations. The narra- subsequent comprehensive repression of any form of dissent. tive is particularly interesting for the way it connects current

Bailey’s fleeting fame occurred when he and a few like-minded young adult Nazi haters boarded the Bremen, “the flagship of Hitler’s commercial armada,” in New York Harbor in 1935. A dress-up party was in progress to celebrate the departure of the massive ship. Bailey and his colleagues had devised a plan to scale the mast and remove the Nazi flag, which featured a swastika. The plan succeeded, becoming “the first blow landed against the Third Reich by foreign adversaries, delivered without guns or bomb, years before America, or any country, chose to take military action against a regime that was already signaling its treacher- ous intentions.” However, local authorities, feeling duty-bound to protect a foreign vessel against politically oriented trespass- ers, arrested Bailey and a few accomplices. Throughout the narrative, Duffy offers detailed sections about the Bremen and its impressive luxury, the duties of merchant mariners, the Ameri- can Communist Party, Hitler’s rise, the German persecution of Jews, and the failure of most Americans—including President Franklin Roosevelt—to counteract the evils of Nazism in the early 1930s. In addition, the author critiques the criminal justice system as he provides detailed coverage of the trial that resulted in the acquittals of Bailey and his colleagues. After the acquittal, Bailey remained a political activist, union organizer, and merchant mariner, serving in World War II. For the last few decades of his life, he remained out of the spotlight. A well-fleshed-out biography featuring an appropriate amount of historical context.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 55 An engaging and disquieting analysis of America’s recurring choice between ‘a humane ethic of social citizenship’ and barbarism. the end of the myth

environmental efforts—namely, the “Water is Life” movement amateurish, small-scale beginning of Zionist intelligence, when at Standing Rock, North Dakota, in 2016—with the earliest Israel was a wish and not yet a fact, and the more professional attempts by Indigenous nations to protect their homeland, as efforts after 1948. The Palmach had very little money; the spies well as with international politics. The author takes readers contrived their own cover stories, and equipment and commu- back to early U.S.–Indian wars in order to examine two compet- nications were sketchy at best. At that time, Israel was many ing value systems: the epic disagreement between Native-Amer- things, and the author deftly navigates the complicated identi- icans and Europeans on how to use and respect America’s land. ties and the stories beneath the stories. (One of his sources is Exploring a wide variety of historical touchpoints, including the only remaining spy, Shoshan. As Friedman readily admits at the damming of the Missouri River, issues of eminent domain, the beginning of the book, this is not a comprehensive history the massacre at Wounded Knee and its later occupation, the of the birth of Israel—and it can’t be, since records are few, con- American Indian Movement, and Indigenous recognition at fusion was the norm, mistakes were made, and many died. the United Nations, Estes elucidates how and why the Dakota An exciting historical journey and highly informative Access Pipeline protest emerged. He explains why Indigenous look at the Middle East with Israel as the starting point. resistance never dies and what energized it in recent years. The author’s account is especially impressive as he criticizes his own tribe for attempting to ease the way for oil companies. “Now,” THE END OF THE MYTH he writes, “Lower Brule had crossed a picket line, betraying not From the Frontier to the only their relatives...but also frontline communities around the Border Wall in the Mind world being devastated by climate change and extractivism.” of America With an urgent voice, Estes reminds us that the greed of private Grandin, Greg corporations must never be allowed to endanger the health of Metropolitan/Henry Holt (384 pp.) the majority. $30.07 | Mar. 5, 2019 An important read about Indigenous protesters fight- 978-1-250-17982-1 ing to protect their ancestral land and uphold their historic values of clean land and water for all humans. A history of how America’s concep- tion of its borders reflects its changing identity. SPIES OF NO COUNTRY From the time of the country’s founding, the frontier has Secret Lives at the Birth had mythical significance, symbolizing limitless opportunity and of Israel grand ambition. Today, that expansive idea has been replaced Friedman, Matti with that of an isolating border wall. In an authoritative and Algonquin (272 pp.) compelling analysis, Bancroft Prize winner Grandin (History/ $27.95 | Mar. 5, 2019 New York Univ.; Kissinger’s Shadow: The Long Reach of America’s 978-1-61620-722-9 Most Controversial Statesman, 2015, etc.) traces America’s evolution from the 18th century to the present, as expressed in A focused espionage tale of the the metaphorical meaning of frontier. “Where the frontier beginning of Israel and the spies who symbolized perennial rebirth, a culture in springtime,” he con- “turned out to be...the embryo of one of tends, the wall now reflects “a conspiratorial nihilism, rejecting the world’s most formidable intelligence reason and dreading change.” The author locates the mythol- services.” ogy of the frontier in an essay by historian Frederick Jackson In his latest book, former AP correspondent Friedman Turner, who “emancipated the concept of ‘frontier,’ unhitched (Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier’s Story of a Forgotten War, 2016, etc.), it from its more mundane earthbound means—used to indicate whose reporting has taken him to many parts of the Middle a national border or a military front—and let it float free as an East, writes primarily about Arab Jews from the Islamic world abstraction” that signified “an aspiration.” The vast, open West who left their countries because they were persecuted and portended political equality and unlimited natural resources, harassed. Unfortunately, in Israel, they were condescended to, independence and individualism: deeply held—though idealis- ignored, and pushed to the fringes, believed not to be a real part tic and overly romantic—values. Democratic values surely did of Israel. “The Israeli identity is increasingly Middle Eastern,” not shape pioneers’ treatment of Native Americans, who were writes the author, “but the old languages and mannerisms are slaughtered, displaced, and forcibly segregated; nor of African- gone, as the Zionist movement always intended.” Friedman tells Americans, who never shared in the apparently bountiful eco- the fascinating story of the Arab Section, part of the Palmach, nomic and political rewards of westward expansion. Virulent the Jewish underground army before there was a Jewish state. racism infected the concept of frontier during the presidency These men were from the Islamic world, thus easing their task of Andrew Jackson, which was characterized by the brutal to infiltrate it. Friedman focuses on four specific spies, all under campaigns of the Indian Removal Act. At a time of fast-paced the age of 25—Gamliel Cohen (from Damascus), Isaac Shoshan change, urban growth, and economic volatility, Jackson prom- (Aleppa), Havakuk Cohen (Yemen), and Yakuba Cohen (Jeru- ised to rein in government intrusion and restore “primitive salem, British Palestine)—who served as the link between the simplicity and purity.” Throughout the 19th century, Grandin

56 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | amply shows, the nation became involved in wars in Mexico, THE SHORTEST HISTORY the Caribbean, Central America, the Pacific, and Southeast OF GERMANY Asia that redefined the relationship of frontier to domination, From Julius Caesar to Angela exploitation, and “the panic of power.” Trump’s border wall, Merkel—A Retelling for writes the author, “is a monument to disenchantment,” resent- Our Times ment, and rage. Hawes, James An engaging and disquieting analysis of America’s The Experiment (256 pp.) recurring choice between “a humane ethic of social citi- $15.95 paper | Mar. 19, 2019 zenship” and barbarism. (4 maps) 978-1-61519-569-5

A fast-moving encapsulation of Ger- man history focusing on the thesis that Prussia’s aggression was a short-lived anomaly in the big picture and not reflective of the true German spirit. German-steeped British academic Hawes (Creative Writ- ing/Oxford Brookes Univ.; Englanders and Huns: The Culture-Clash Which Led to the First World War, 2014, etc.) imparts plenty of useful information in this handy history for students looking to define a sometimes-inscrutable people with a tainted recent past. At the beginning, the author implores readers to “throw young adult

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 57 A vividly rhythmic chronicle of reconciliation couched with a 1960s rock-’n’-roll soundtrack. don’t let me down

away a great deal of what we think we know about German his- while losing [myself].” Permeated with events like church boot tory, and start afresh.” First, he reminds us that “Julius Caesar camp and school graduations, the narrative is near cinematic with had invented the Germans,” that is the barbarians who lived insights about gender roles, love, and sex gained through experi- east of the Rhine who differed greatly from the Romans, who, ences involving her parents, romantic relationships, God, and according to Tacitus, “had degenerated into a people made soft rock music. Struggling through a host of various traumas both by vice and luxury, who merely groveled to their emperors.” minor and major, her mother’s inability to break free, and her Hence the beginning of the rather romantic character of Ger- father’s battle with cancer and eventual death, Hosier delivers a mans as wild and noble tribesmen on the frontiers. Hawes sees memoir that is less about chasing an identity and more about hav- the birth of Germany as we know it with the partition of Char- ing one cast upon her and coming to terms with it. lemagne’s kingdom into West Frankish (France) and East Frank- A vividly rhythmic chronicle of reconciliation couched ish (Germany); the practice of “electing” a king—Conrad in 911 with a 1960s rock-’n’-roll soundtrack. C.E.—meant much of the subsequent German history was “one of a permanent battle between royalty and high nobility.” The author traces how the separation of west Germany from what A SHORT HISTORY OF EUROPE was known as East Elbia occurred with the rise of the Junkers From Pericles to Putin (“young lords”) and the increasing militarization of “muscled- Jenkins, Simon up” Prussia under Frederick the Great, leading Prussia to its bel- PublicAffairs (400 pp.) licose apotheosis from 1866 to 1945—“the great deformation,” $35.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 asserts Hawes. The true liberal democratic spirit of the robust, 978-1-5417-8855-8 enterprising Germans resides in the west, rather than the east, now again courting right-wing parties. A concise and somewhat quirky A marvelously concise effort, especially compelling as treatment of European history from Angela Merkel is set to step down in 2021, leaving an uncer- ancient times to the present. tain vacuum in Europe. (100 maps, images, and diagrams) In a natural follow-up to A Short His tory of England (2011), Guardian and Eve ning Standard columnist Jenkins (Britain’s Hundred Best Railway DON’T LET ME DOWN Stations, 2017, etc.) begins and ends with classical metaphors. A Memoir He opens by noting how Europe was named for the place on Hosier, Erin the island of Crete where Zeus, after seducing the Phoenician Atria (320 pp.) princess Europa, swam with her to engender a new civilization. $27.00 | Feb. 5, 2019 The author ends with the story of the magnificent Piraeus lion, 978-1-4516-4495-1 carved in Greece in the fourth century B.C.E. and removed to Venice, where it stands outside the Arsenal in Venice, revealing A successful literary agent recounts what Jenkins sees as a metaphor “to free ourselves from our own her life and especially her relationship place in history and see the past as a distant land.” Indeed, the with her father, who was “a mass of con- cultural currents forming Europe and shaping its destiny have tradictions: a pacifist and a tyrant, an been staggering. From the ascendancy of Rome to its overrun optimist with demons, a hippie and a by barbarian invaders to the establishment of a Frankish king- conservative, a proud father and jerk, and a boy and a man.” dom by Charlemagne to the invasions of the Vikings, Europe Hosier (co-author: Hit So Hard, 2017) has long dealt with unre- experienced a violent founding characterized by many forced solved “daddy issues,” but she thought she had tucked the bag- migrations of diverse peoples. Yet it has also been the crucible gage neatly away—that is, until her mother sold the family home of enlightened civilizations, from the enterprising Scandinavian and, salvaging the last few childhood relics, the author dug out a tribes to the Norman builders to the rise of powerful nation- Beatles-heavy stack of inherited records. After that opening scene, states to the galvanizing ideas of the Renaissance and Reforma- Hosier proceeds to detail her life story, one closely intertwined tion. Throughout this chronological work, Jenkins touches on with her father, who reared the household on the entire Fab many usual suspects—e.g., Julius Caesar, Constantine, Catherine Four canon. “The Beatles records...had provided the soundtrack de’ Medici, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Hitler, and Putin—yet he deals to our lives and seen us through every great joy and tragedy,” she with schisms and wars of dynasty with admirable restraint, distill- writes. “Dad and I used those songs to both connect with and ing the research to the bare essentials. He organizes his work by escape from each other, to both understand and rebel against each themes such as “The Old Order’s Last Cry: 1840-1850,” and he other.” Titled with songs from “Blackbird” to “Hey Jude,” each manages to capture the dwindling “strains” of a disunited pres- chapter reveals chronological milestones that shaped the author’s ent-day Europe. The 20 pages of maps at the beginning, as well as coming-of-age in rural 1980s Ohio. Underneath what seemed the timeline, are endlessly helpful in navigating this vast history. an idyllic “Here Comes the Sun” childhood stirred a controlling Jenkins says it best: “This short book is aimed at those father who became increasingly volatile. Eventually, writes Hosier, without the time and inclination for a longer one.” An life became “the anxiety of constantly walking on eggshells, the accomplished introduction for any nonscholar interested need for order and control, [and] the impulse to try to save others in European history.

58 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | RECLAIMING OUR SPACE confines of academia. Some, like #FridayNightHorror (which How Black Feminists Are focuses on black women in the horror film genre) and #Black- Changing the World from the GirlsAreMagic (which focuses on the accomplishments of black Tweets to the Streets women), are social, educational, and/or inspirational in nature. Jones, Feminista Others, like #BlackLivesMatter, have become the foundation Beacon (224 pp.) for worldwide political movements. Jones believes that Twitter $16.95 paper | Feb. 1, 2019 has become such a successful tool for black feminists/activists 978-0-8070-5537-3 because the “forum [is] rooted in the African call-and-response tradition,” wherein participants aid in the development of a A feminist writer/community activist message while also influencing its direction. She also suggests offers insights into what she sees as the that Twitter has become a way that black feminists like herself defining practices of 21st-century black have been able to build followings that have allowed them to feminism. continue much-needed conversations elsewhere. Tweets on For Philadelphia-based social worker and activist Jones, sex-positive feminism, for example, led Jones to create a widely black feminism is “the key to Black liberation.” One tool that read blog and, later, articles for Ebony.com. While the author the author believes that black feminists have used successfully concedes that what exists online “can be negative and harmful in their ongoing struggle for social justice is Twitter. She argues to [black] progress,” she also suggests that continued sharing of that hashtags, which help Twitter users find “specific topics ideas among black feminists “will strengthen and improve the and associated social media posts,” have become vital mecha- way the next generation interacts with each other.” Sharp and nisms to grow communities that extend far beyond the narrow provocative, the narrative is most powerful in its implication young adult

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 59

INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Lili Anolik

COME FOR THE LA INTRIGUE IN ANOLIK’S DEBUT; STAY FOR THE SURPRISING MORAL OF THE STORY By Bridgette Bates

center of the burgeoning pop-cultural scene of Los An- geles in the 1960s and ’70s. Anolik tried to learn more about this fascinating figure, but books by Babitz were out of print, and very little was written about her. Anolik managed to track down one book, Slow Days, Fast Company, sealing the deal for her infatuation with Babitz’s work. “Her sensibility was idiosyncratic and unexpected, and her prose had a real rhythm to it,” says Anolik. “I thought she has this feeling for place—for Los Angeles, which is this kind of beautiful city that’s filled with hope and optimism, but underneath the hope and optimism I just felt like she got the city with all of its ironies and all of its complexities.” Anolik pitched a story to Vanity Fair, where she is now a contributing editor, and began an investigation into this it girl who fell out of the limelight. When Anolik first tried to make contact with Bab- itz—by finding her address in the phone book and mailing her requests to meet—she was given the cold shoul- der. Gradually connecting with Babitz’s inner circle— her sister, a cousin, the photographer of that Duchamp pic—Anolik finally made some inroads and hopped on Lili Anolik with Eve Babitz a plane from her home in New York to have lunch with Lili Anolik is unabashedly head over heels for the Babitz in Los Angeles at the iconic Original Farmers subject of her new book. She and Eve Babitz regularly Market. Very little was revealed over burgers except for text and talk on the phone; Anolik sends packages of Babitz’s insatiable appetite, but after many more con- chocolate-covered strawberries. The spark was ignited versations, Anolik published a 6,000-word profile that in 2010 when Anolik came across a quote by her future she says only began to scratch the surface. Luckily, Bab- subject. “I don’t remember the exact quote, but it was of itz approved of the Vanity Fair article. “She left a voice- course about LA and sex, and I was instantly entranced mail saying, ‘So glad you got in the story about the blow and I wanted to know who this woman was.” job,’ ” Anolik recalls. The woman is an author of seven books; a design- Once Anolik had the trust of her subject, she had to er of album covers for the likes of Buffalo Springfield, keep going. “[Eve] had this fascinating, complicated life the Byrds, and Linda Ronstadt; the goddaughter of Igor with multiple acts,” explains Anolik. “She started as a Stravinsky; a graduate of Hollywood High; the nude daughter of Hollywood—her mom’s an artist, her dad’s woman playing chess with Marcel Duchamp in the fa- a musician…their house was this wonderful salon of mu- mous photograph; a lover to many including Jim Mor- sicians and writers and poets. And then she becomes a rison, Ed Ruscha, and Harrison Ford; basically, the epi- muse and a groupie and the posing in the picture with

60 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com |

Marcel Duchamp…and then in her 20s she’s discovered a straightforward novel. I can’t keep everything as a writer by Joan Didion, and then penultimately she’s in my lap, or stop rising flurries of sudden blind this California horror story.” meaning. But perhaps if the details are all put to- Each of these titillating acts is explored—with great gether, a certain pulse or sense of place will emerge, admiration and love—in Anolik’s new Kirkus-starred and the integrity of empty space with occasional book, Hollywood’s Eve: Eve Babitz and the Secret History of figures in the landscape can be understood at lei- L.A. (Jan. 8). This chronicle of how Babitz’s deep entan- sure and in full, no matter how fast the company. glement in LA’s “café society”—where she was a fixture at places like the Troubadour, Barney’s Beanery, and the This emphasis of “sense” and “pulse” and a dreamlike Chateau Marmont—is about more than just being a wall- unfolding also drives Hollywood’s Eve, which does not fit flower on the Sunset Strip. “It wasn’t the gaudy glitter of the mold of a biography—it’s a bona fide love story. Ano- celebrity that so dazzled Eve. It was all that brilliance as- lik achieves an incredible intimacy with her subject, who sembled in one place, on one scene,” writes Anolik, who talks to almost no one these days—especially about her shines a light on the brilliance of Babitz herself. “final act.” In a freak accident while driving home from a Babitz’s sharp and funny voice, provocative lifestyle, family brunch on a Sunday morning, Babitz caught her- and all her stranger-than-fiction experiences create a self on fire while trying to light a cigar. This tragic acci- Hollywood biopic that no movie director could have dent in the late ’90s left her in chronic discomfort, and ever imagined. “Evie’s memory is frighteningly good for she lives a very quiet existence today. Although Babitz someone who’s abused drugs and has participated in ev- never returned to the social scene that she dominat- ery form of debauchery that they are offered,” says Ano- ed for decades, “The force of her personality and the lik, who often questioned the plausibility of Babitz’s force of her spirit are unchanged,” Anolik says. “She still recollections, but she was always able to corroborate sounds just the way she sounds in her books in a funny the stories. And Babitz’s stories are beyond extraordi- kind of way.” In a final ode, Anolik writes about her sub- nary: Harrison Ford was her pot dealer; she was one of ject at peace in the present: young adult the first people ever to wear contact lenses because her next-door neighbor invented them; she was the one to Eve is now in her mid-seventies. Her hair is no lon- suggest that Steve Martin perform in a white suit and ger a silvery shade of platinum but straight-up sil- that Jim Morrison don leather pants; she was the host of ver. The drugs she takes are to ward off pain rather a dinner party where Michelle Phillips told an anecdote than induce psychosis and are paid for by Medi- to Joan Didion, who asked to use it for the seminal end- care. And yet she remains a beloved and brilliant ing of Play It Like It Lays. little girl: beautiful, serenely self-absorbed, wholly Anolik traces some of these real-life stories through without conscience or remorse, and an unending the narratives behind Babitz’s own books. Her autobi- source of marvel and freshness and delight. ographical novels, several of which were published by Knopf at the time, were a “cult favorite, never a main- Bridgette Bates’ poetry collection What Is Not Missing Is stream success,” unlike the books of Didion and Na- Light is the recipient of the Black Box Poetry Prize. Holly- thanael West, both of whom offered much grimmer wood’s Eve was reviewed in the Nov. 1, 2018, issue. views of California. As the unofficial champion of Bab- HOLLYWOOD’S EVE itz’s literary canon, Anolik’s initial piece Vanity Fair Eve Babitz and the Secret helped to launch a resurgence of interest, and since then History of L.A. several of Babitz’s books have been reissued. In Holly Anolik, Lili wood’s Eve, Anolik devotes extra attention to her person- Scribner (288 pp.) al favorite and first read from Babitz’s oeuvre, Slow Days, $26.00 | Jan. 8, 2018 Fast Company (1977, reissued in 2016), which she quotes 978-1-5011-2579-9 throughout the book, including this passage:

You can’t write a story about L.A. that doesn’t turn around in the middle or get lost….No one likes to be confronted with a bunch of disparate details that God only knows what they mean. I can’t get a thread to go through to the end and make

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 61 Interesting reading for students of cultural history as well as Spanish-American relations over the centuries. the spanish craze

that, unless born to privilege, all Americans, regardless of race WISE GUY or gender, now “feel something akin to what Black people...have Lessons from a Life always experienced.” Understanding black (female) struggles is Kawasaki, Guy therefore critical for everyone. Portfolio (288 pp.) Smart, savvy, and unapologetically fierce. $28.00 | Feb. 26, 2019 978-0-525-53861-5

THE SPANISH CRAZE The tech and marketing guru offers America’s Fascination with stories from his life and career. the Hispanic World, Born in Hawaii in 1954 and noted 1779–1939 as the evangelist for Apple’s Macin- Kagan, Richard L. tosh in the 1980s, Kawasaki (The Art of Univ. of Nebraska (640 pp.) the Start 2.0, 2015, etc.) is now “chief evangelist” at Canva, the $39.95 | Mar. 1, 2019 graphic design website. In this book of inspiration and advice, 978-1-4962-0772-2 he describes his working-class youth as the grandson of Japa- nese immigrants, his education at Stanford, and highlights from From Hispanophilia to Hispanopho- his years as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and marketer. bia: a well-considered study of the shift- Organized around nearly a dozen themes (“Education,” “Apple,” ing but, in its main outlines, surprisingly “Values,” etc.), the book consists of short anecdotes about life constant view of American elites toward the Spanish Other. decisions followed by nuggets of wisdom drawn from each story. American culture has been bound up with Spanish, Spanish- Results vary: The anecdotes are entertaining, reflecting varied American, and Hispanic cultures for far longer than the mat- experiences, from learning how to sell at a jewelry company to ter of Donald Trump and his wall, although that ugly business career-defining work under Steve Jobs to the joy of raising his is just a reverberation from and continuation of the past. As children to his love of sports. The wisdom bits are often trite Kagan (Emeritus, History/Johns Hopkins Univ.; Clio and the or cloying: “Seek opportunities.” “Respect authority.” “Do the Crown: The Politics of History in Medieval and Early Modern Spain, right thing.” “Help people and be generous.” And so on, with 2009, etc.) recounts in this scholarly study, Henry Adams, Wil- tiresome predictability. Kawasaki’s candor, however, is refresh- liam Randolph Hearst, and a host of other influential Ameri- ing: “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than smart,” he writes cans advanced the “Black Legend” of “the Spain of bloodthirsty of a Stanford friendship that led to his Apple job. And: “It’s conquistadors who slaughtered their way across the Americas” very hard to evangelize crap.” There is also payback for Hill- and otherwise contrasted Spanish civilization to the infinitely ary Clinton’s “hubris” in rejecting his offer of social media help more enlightened—in their telling—Anglo-Saxon one. Against in her presidential campaign. Kawasaki is direct, funny, and them were writers such as Washington Irving, who told tales sometimes contradictory. “Be humble,” he writes in a book of a sunny Spain, “a light-hearted, quasi-Oriental country that with more than 20 photos of himself with others. His soft side was charming, hospitable, and, most important, relentlessly is balanced by fearless practicality on the key to success: “Life romantic and picturesque.” William Dean Howells, for his part, is sales.” There is a genuine desire to share lessons learned and called the Spanish “the honestest people in Europe,” leaving it help readers get ahead. Do what’s right (he resisted Trump), find to the likes of Ernest Hemingway to tell his compatriots that challenging teachers, avoid paranoia, and set goals, even superfi- not all of them were top-notch fellows; even after the horrors cial ones, if you want to succeed. of the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway could be persuaded to go Kawasaki is a likable guy, but this one is best browsed to Franco’s nation to catch a glimpse of his beloved bullfight. to avoid saccharine overload. Kagan carefully documents changing attitudes over three centuries of Anglo-American interaction with Spain and its colonial descendants, attitudes that hinge on stereotypes good and THE FUTURE IS ASIAN bad, from Zorro to the Inquisition and Dolores del Río to Vale- Khanna, Parag riano Weyler. Occasionally, the author even turns the tables, as Simon & Schuster (432 pp.) when he notes that Hearst was broadly considered little more $29.95 | Feb. 5, 2019 than a looter of Spanish culture “whose seemingly unquench- 978-1-5011-9626-3 able appetite for Spanish art and antiques resulted in wholesale ‘destruction’ of Spain’s artistic and architectural patrimony,” just An India-born, Western-educated as Americans of many generations have appropriated things strategic adviser and author offers a Spanish and Hispanic. comprehensive worldview from an Asian Interesting reading for students of cultural history as perspective. well as Spanish-American relations over the centuries. Now residing in Singapore—“the unofficial capital of Asia, a melting pot that embodies Asia’s potential to make the most of the Europe- anization and Americanization of the past and, most importantly,

62 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | the Asianization of today and tomorrow”—Khanna (Connectog- narrative, Khanna moves into “Asia-nomics,” or how each coun- raphy: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization, 2016, etc.) enlists try is developing its particular economic strength. For example, his considerable global experience and education to elegantly after the first wave of modern Asian growth in postwar Japan lay out the vast range and enormous potential of what he calls and South Korea, followed by China, the current wave is now the Asian “system” of moving beyond geography and embrac- propelled by Southeast Asia (India, Thailand, Vietnam, and ing “alliances, institutions, infrastructure, trade, investment, Indonesia). Then, the author addresses the phenomenal Asian culture and other patterns.” As such, Asia encompasses China, diaspora in America and in Europe; China’s forays into Africa; Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam as well as the Gulf states and how liberal democracy probably does not suit Asian coun- (“West Asia”) and India, Russia, Iran, and, strategically, Austra- tries as much as the technocratic model (“good despotism”) of lia. Seeing the world from an Asian point of view first entails Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore. jettisoning accumulated stereotypes—e.g., that Asia needs Western readers with a strong devotion to individual the U.S. more than we need Asia. This is not true, and Asian liberties may be turned off, but Khanna is thorough and nations have become increasingly wary of Washington’s “unre- clear, offering abundant food for thought. liable promises.” Khanna begins with a dazzling distillation of the history of the world from an Asian perspective, emphasizing how the main swath of early civilization was situated in Asia and how briefly (though intensively) the Western powers inserted themselves into the picture. The author underscores that “Asia’s linkages have been continually propelled through commerce, conflict, and culture.” Following the historical young adult

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| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 63 Kotlowitz offers a narrative that is as messy and complicated and heart-wrenching as life itself. an american summer

AN AMERICAN SPROUT LANDS SUMMER Tending the Endless Love and Death in Gift of Trees Chicago Logan, William Bryant Kotlowitz, Alex Norton (384 pp.) Talese/Doubleday (304 pp.) $27.95 | Mar. 26, 2019 $27.95 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-0-393-60941-7 978-0-385-53880-0 An arborist celebrates the intrinsic A chronicle of dreams and gun vio- creativity of trees. lence one summer in the city of Chicago. When Logan (Air: The Restless Shaper In 1991, Kotlowitz (Journalism/North- of the World, 2012, etc.) was hired to western Univ.; Never a City So Real: A Walk in Chicago, 2004, etc.) train and care for 92 trees in front of New York’s Metropolitan published the modern classic There Are No Children Here (1991), Museum of Art, he became obsessed with sprouting—the abil- which told the story of brothers Lafeyette and Pharoah and their ity of any leafy tree or shrub to grow new branches after its trunk experiences in one of Chicago’s violent housing projects. Years is cut or burned—and with the ancient practices of coppice later, the author received a call in the middle of the night and and pollard that nurtured this regenerative power. Resprout- learned that Pharoah may have been involved in a murder. In ing allows a tree to stay alive after damage or disease. “Eighty his latest powerful sociological exploration, the author master- percent of the trees in a leafy forest are not virgins from seed,” fully captures the summer of 2013 in neglected Chicago neigh- the author reveals, “but experienced sprouts,” some extending borhoods, rendering intimate profiles of residents and the “very the life of a tree for thousands of years. Logan’s lively obsession public” violence they face every day. One example is Eddie inspired him to travel the world—to England, Spain, Sierra Bocanegra, who killed a rival gang member as a teenager. “Eddie Leone, Norway, Japan, and the redwood forests of Califor- did the unimaginable,” writes Kotlowitz. “He took another nia—to investigate the rich and intimate connection between human life. I suppose for some that might be all you need to trees and humans. His astute attentiveness and curiosity have know. For others, it may be all you want to know about him. resulted in a radiant, insightful amalgam of botany, history, And that’s what Eddie fears the most, that this moment is him. travel memoir, anthropology, archaeology, philosophical medi- That there’s no other way to view him.” We also meet Anita tation, and, not least, environmental ecology. In coppicing, he Stewart, a dedicated social worker who watched one of her explains, trees are cut or burned down to the ground; in pollard- favorite students get murdered and another struggle with the ing, trunks are cut higher. Both practices yield astounding new aftermath. Heartbreakingly, the author writes early on, “I could growth: “the wood jumps back into the sky,” attaining heights of tell story after story like this, of mothers who drift on a sea of 6 feet or more in the first year. Beginning in the Mesolithic age, heartache, without oars and without destination.” Throughout, humans depended on the two practices for energy, warmth, and Kotlowitz raises significant issues about the regions where vio- structure. Trees could provide straight, strong vertical branches lence has become far too routine. “After the massacre at New- for building; curved branches for barrel hoops; small branches town and then at Parkland we asked all the right questions,” he to make into charcoal. In the Basque Country, an elaborate writes. However, “in Chicago neighborhoods like Englewood or form of pollarding gave boat builders thick, curved timbers for North Lawndale, where in one year they lose twice the number a ship’s hull. With a “very active relationship to trees,” humans of people killed in Newtown, no one’s asking those questions.” listened and observed as trees taught them how to cut, when to Kotlowitz offers a narrative that is as messy and complicated stop, and how to wait, lessons that are still salient. “If we are to and heart-wrenching as life itself: “This is a book, I suppose, get out of the dead end that our mastery of nature has backed about that silence—and the screams and howling and prayers us into,” Logan writes, we would do well to heed the intelligence and longing that it hides.” of trees. A fiercely uncompromising—and unforgettable—portrait. A graceful homage abounding in fascinating discover- ies. (15 b/w illustrations)

64 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | WHO KILLED MY FATHER In 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia, Warren McCleskey, an African- Louis, Édouard American, was arrested for killing a white police officer during a Trans. by Stein, Lorin furniture store robbery. After years of litigation, writes Maratea New Directions (92 pp.) (The Politics of the Internet: Political Claims–making in Cyberspace $18.95 | Mar. 26, 2019 and How It’s Affecting Modern Political Activism, 2014, etc.), his 978-0-8112-2850-3 death penalty sentencing was upheld by the Supreme Court in a decision that overlooked “compelling empirical data sug- A memoir implicates French politi- gesting that Georgia’s death process was replete with systemic cians in the suffering of its citizens. racial bias.” McCleskey was executed in 1991. In this thought- When he was growing up, Louis (His ful and disturbing account, the author traces the story of the tory of Violence, 2018, etc.) didn’t get along case. He argues not that McCleskey was innocent but that he with his father. The patriarch lived by a was sentenced to death under a system in which killers of white simple creed: “be a man, don’t act like a people were four times more likely as killers of blacks to be girl, don’t be a faggot.” Surprising words for young Louis, who sentenced to death. The latter assertion, made by McCleskey’s is gay, to hear, even more so given that a man who would “sneer lawyers, was based on a “detailed and peer-reviewed” study of at any sign of femininity in a man” once dressed as a cheer- 2,500 Georgia murder cases by University of Iowa law professor leader and cried while watching opera. A détente began when David C. Baldus. He concluded that all individuals convicted of the author’s father was injured at the factory where he worked. murdering whites were far more likely to receive the death pen- Something heavy fell on him and “mangled” his back, and he alty. In its 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the defense was so weak that he got winded walking to the bathroom. Most failed to show evidence of deliberate bias by law officials and

of the book focuses on Louis’ relationship with his father, but dismissed the data on disparities in sentencing as inevitable in young adult then, in an abrupt shift, the author spends the last 15 pages enu- the criminal justice system. Noting that the decision “affirmed merating policies that he argues have emasculated his father institutionalized racial disparities” in the capital punishment and worsened life for France’s poorest citizens. Sometimes, system, Maratea examines the force of “old habits of mind and the author’s attempts to connect his family’s tragedy to world racial attitudes” going back to the Civil War era. He finds that events go too far, such as when he invokes concentration camps. “capital punishment has borne a close resemblance to lynching in More relevant are his critiques of French politicians: former Georgia, where more extralegal executions of black Americans President Jacques Chirac’s announcement “that dozens of med- occurred than in any other state.” As lynchings declined in the ications would no longer be covered by the state”; former Presi- 20th-century South, “the infliction of the death penalty by the dent Nicolas Sarkozy’s change to basic unemployment benefits courts increased,” according to historian William S. McFeely. that forced Louis’ father to take jobs such as street sweeper; and Provocative reading for anyone concerned about the the current president, Emmanuel Macron, who cut 5 euros per intersection of race and capital punishment. month from the subsidy that allows France’s poor to pay their rent while he cut taxes for the wealthy. Whatever one’s politics, readers of this impassioned work are likely to be moved by the THE POPE Louis family’s plight and the love, however strained, between Francis, Benedict, and the author and his father. the Decision that Shook In 2004, fascinated by the Berlin Wall, 12-year-old the World Louis peppered his father with questions about it. As this McCarten, Anthony poignant book shows, there are still walls—within families, Flatiron Books (256 pp.) between leaders and citizens—that need to be torn down. $26.99 | Jan. 29, 2019 978-1-250-20790-6

KILLING WITH PREJUDICE A tale of two popes. Institutionalized Racism Novelist, screenwriter, and play- in American Capital wright McCarten (Darkest Hour: How Punishment Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink, 2017, etc.) pro- Maratea, R.J. vides a sensationalized examination of the Catholic Church’s New York Univ. (224 pp.) two most recent leaders. The groundbreaking decision by Pope $26.00 | Feb. 19, 2019 Benedict XVI to resign the papacy in 2013 led to widespread 978-1-4798-8860-3 speculation and gossip about his motives, and the author digs into many of those theories. Describing Benedict at one point The story of the Supreme Court as “a frail and confused old man drowning in shallow waters decision McCleskey v. Kemp (1987), which while those closest to him watched,” McCarten is largely dismis- underscores “the lingering racial and sive of Benedict as anything aside from an academic. Though socioeconomic inequalities endemic to he occasionally takes pity on the former pontiff—e.g., not- capital punishment in the United States.” ing that his desires to go into seclusion went unheeded by his

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 65 in it was all a dream, black millennials offer candid views of the challenges they face

If the word “millennial” evokes an apolitical smart- predecessor, John Paul II—the author mainly describes him as phone-addicted brat who wastes money on avocado lacking any interpersonal skills and being utterly disconnected toast, you’ve probably not read much about the reali- from the real world or the church he was called to lead. Benedict was a strong defender of orthodoxy, so his resignation came as ties of being a young black person who came of age a surprise; indeed, “the most conventional man in the Catho- in the 1990s. In It Was All a Dream: Photo courtesy Nina Subi lic Church [did] the most unconventional thing in its modern A New Generation Confronts The Bro history.” McCarten sees in that decision a mixture of guilt over (Jan. 8), failures to stem the church’s sex abuse scandal and overwhelm- ken Promise to Black America ing inability to lead in the light of his own shortcomings and the journalist Reniqua Allen, an Eis- Vatican’s continued scandals. Though the author is obviously ner Fellow at the Nation Institute, more aligned with Pope Francis’ progressiveness, he does not interviews dozens of millennials spare the newest pope from scrutiny. He provides a disconcert- from California to Mississippi who ing report of Francis’ career in Argentina, strongly suggesting that he was complicit, even if only through silence, with the are working in professional fields brutality his nation faced in the late 20th century. Ultimately, or unemployed and incarcerated. Reniqua Allen though intermittently intriguing, this book is just another aver- They are Republicans; LGBTQ; age addition to the well-saturated genre of Vatican intrigue HIV-positive; first-generation Nigerian-Americans; works. Since the author fails to provide much new information or analysis, serious readers will want to look elsewhere. suffering from PTSD; comedians in Hollywood; MIT Only slightly better than a tabloid look at papal graduates working in technology; and much more. controversies. “There’s no one way to be a black millennial,” Allen says. “That’s the thing young black people have con- DYING OF WHITENESS stantly been searching for.” How the Politics of Racial But that’s about the only good news the book of- Resentment Is Killing fers. The promise of previous generations the title al- America’s Heartland ludes to was overall equality—economic, social, and Metzl, Jonathan M. cultural—but it hasn’t happened. By all traditional Basic (352 pp.) $30.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 measures of American success, blacks still lag far be- 978-1-5416-4498-4 hind whites. “There’s been a lot of super- Nationalism, meet mortality: A social ficial progress” for blacks, Allen scientist and psychiatrist examines the interplay of racial identity and health. says. “But when you really look Metzl (Center for Medicine, Health, and Society/Vander- at the power structure and who bilt Univ.; The Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black is controlling the world, it is not Disease, 2010, etc.) identifies several public health trends related us.” Allen met many black Amer- to white identity politics and the left-behind sentiments of its adherents. One epidemiological chain goes like this: Whites icans working hard to get ahead without opportunity in the hinterlands drop out of high school but not succeeding “because at ever higher rates. According to studies by the author and oth- there are real structural impedi- ers, “failure to attain a high school diploma correlated with nine ments. Young black people don’t years of life lost, in conjunction with rising rates of smoking, ill- nesses such as diabetes, and missed doctor visits.” Want to guar- feel like they have the freedom antee a disaffected white rural populace? Slash the education to do the things they want to do. budget, as former Kansas governor and Trump appointee Sam “I think being young and black in America is a joy Brownback did. Similarly, Metzl lucidly examines rising rates of and it’s heavy and it’s hard,” Allen adds. “We’re expect- suicide by gun, noting that from 2009 to 2015, “non-Hispanic white men accounted for nearly 80 percent of all gun suicides in ed to succeed and thrive in a society that tells us we’re the United States, despite representing less than 35 percent of garbage and we’re not worth it. The fact that we’re the total population.” Although gun suicide is a clear threat to persisting is incredible. It’s amazing that we’re still the public health, “whiteness” includes adherence to views that daring to dream.” — privilege the Second Amendment at the expense of any public J.S. good. In other words, although everyone knows there’s a problem, the problem is variously attributed to nonwhite criminal- It Was All a Dream was reviewed in the Oct. 15, 2018, issue. ity or mental illness, not the easy availability of guns and lack

66 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | Fortunately, no grades are given out in these classes, just a ‘genuine intellectual experience’ to learn from a first-rate literary critic. far country

of background screening. Furthermore, writes the author, the Fortunately, no grades are given out in these classes, numbers point to the fact that “non-Hispanic white, male, self- just a “genuine intellectual experience” to learn from a identified conservative Republicans over the age of thirty-five first-rate literary critic. overwhelmingly owned and carried the most guns in the country.” Opposition to the Affordable Care Act has hinged on the notion that the undeserving (read: nonwhites) are free riders on THE HUMAN TIDE a system that the government has no business being involved in. How Population Shaped the And so forth. While Metzl notes that white identity politics has Modern World enjoyed great successes, he concludes that they come at signifi- Morland, Paul cant cost and “heighten the calculus of risk.” PublicAffairs (352 pp.) Long on description, shorter on prescription; still, a $28.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 provocative, instructive contribution to the literature of 978-1-5417-8836-7 public health as well as of contemporary politics. (39 b/w figures and illustrations) The world is changing, dramatically and in large part because of shifts in population. FAR COUNTRY University of London demographer Scenes from Morland (Demographic Engineering: Population Strategies in Ethnic American Culture Conflict, 2014) considers population dynamics as a driving force Moretti, Franco in historical change—not just at the macro level, but in the lives

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (144 pp.) of individuals. As he notes, only a few generations have passed young adult $23.00 | Mar. 19, 2019 since 1-in-6 British children died before their first birthdays, 978-0-374-27270-8 whereas “today, just over a century later, only one child in three hundred born in England does not reach the age of one.” At A literature professor invites us to sit the same time, sub-Saharan African nations whose birth rates in on some classes. had once leveled off have grown in population but not in eco- The co-founder of Stanford’s Liter- nomic opportunity, propelling a wave of migrants northward ary Lab and Center for the Study of the to a Europe whose Indigenous populations have been steadily Novel, Moretti (Emeritus, Humanities/Stanford Univ.; Distant shrinking—in Italy, for example, by a projected 20 percent Reading, 2013, etc.) collects an “odd quintet” of his univer- by the end of the century. This reiterates a historical trend in sity lectures on fiction, film, drama, and art and adds another, which exploding European populations led to migrations to the “Teaching in America,” in which he bemoans the university act- Americas and Australia, and even if European and European- ing like a store seeking “financial dreams,” thus betraying “its descended—and especially British—peoples remain politically intellectual purpose.” The author clearly wants us to enjoy the and economically more powerful than the rest of the world, “magic” of literature and then “filter it through the skepticism of “they have significantly retreated as an ethnic group within their critique” to acquire an “aesthetic education.” He extracts short own states.” Other nations have experienced patterns of growth passages from the works discussed to analyze how language and and decline: Japan, for instance, whose population is rapidly style create form. In one of the best lectures, Moretti looks at falling, and Russia, which had a comparatively huge population how Hemingway’s style in “Big Two-Hearted River”—short in late czarist times but became the first state in the world to sentences, a “spectacular” use of prepositional phrases, repeti- legalize abortion in the Soviet era—only to retract it in 1935, tion—acts as a response to the never-mentioned World War I when “Stalin declared ‘man the most precious resource.’ ” Today, to create a “sort of retrospective exorcism of an unspeakable Putin’s Russia faces a decline in ethnic Russians. Demography trauma.” In “Walt Whitman or Charles Baudelaire?” Moretti is not necessarily destiny, but the trends Morland identifies picks the American when it comes down to the battle “between are suggestive of broad political changes to come, including two incompatible conceptions of modern poetry.” Indeed, the prospect that a grayer world may also mean a greener one: Whitman provides “the fundamental model for a democratic “Where human population starts to decline, from Japan to Bul- aesthetics.” In the engaging and insightful “Day and Night,” garia, nature moves fast into the void.” Moretti examines the historical and antithetical significance Useful for students of geopolitics, international eco- between Westerns and film noir. “Words don’t matter in the nomics, and demography alike. Western,” he writes, whereas film noir is “unimaginable without words.” After World War II, these two genres, writes the author, were critical to establishing American cultural hegemony. Next up, “Causality in Death of a Salesman”: “American myths, everywhere: and they all turn to ashes.” Lastly, and most ambitiously, there’s a somewhat hopscotching piece on Vermeer and Hop- per/Rembrandt and Warhol. Throughout, Moretti draws on a wide range of authors to assist him in his skeptical critiques.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 67 BE WITH ME ALWAYS that most subsequent revolutions featured mass murder and Essays ended in tyranny. In the first half of the book, the author travels Noble, Randon Billings familiar ground but does it with insight and wit. An unapolo- Univ. of Nebraska (180 pp.) getic patrician, Washington yearned to scale Virginia’s aristoc- $19.95 paper | Mar. 1, 2019 racy and Britain’s military. He succeeded in the first, becoming 978-1-4962-0504-9 a leading figure in the French and Indian War and marrying Virginia’s richest widow. His failure, despite aggressive lobby- A motley collection of pieces—often ing, to receive a royal commission was Britain’s first great mis- quite brief, many previously unpub- take. A member of Virginia’s House of Burgesses, he dutifully lished—on topics ranging from broken supported opposition to Britain’s clumsy attempts to tax the love to stretch marks to Tylenol. colonists. By the time fighting broke out in 1775, everyone knew Essayist Noble has a focused, tight that Washington wanted to lead the army because he arrived style, often employing the technique of looking at somewhat at the Continental Congress in full dress uniform. Modern his- discrete items (or memories) and seeking connections among torians snicker, but it resonated with contemporaries, already them. Early in this debut volume, for example, is a series of snip- impressed by his dignity, modesty, and reputation. He was the pets about the author’s experiences looking in mirrors, from unanimous choice. O’Connell points out that Britain had long childhood to the present—yes, Narcissus makes an appearance. been crushing rebellions in Ireland and Scotland and saw no Later, Noble examines a collection of rings that once belonged reason to change tactics in America. Even discounting patriot to her late grandmother, and she riffs on each one, giving us the propaganda, looting and rape were common, prisoners were histories of the various stones (“Pliny wrote that wearing a dia- treated badly, and commanders known for cruelty were mostly mond wards off insanity”) and the memories she has of them. British. Scholars wonder at his deference to the ineffectual The author displays admirable candor in some reflections about Continental Congress. As generalissimo with a loyal cadre, he her love affairs, chronicling not just how they began, but also could have taken charge at any time but never did and expressed how they cracked and crumbled, and she does not hesitate to outrage when others suggested it. “He fervently believed in his recognize that she was sometimes the one to initiate the cracks. own high-mindedness and was determined to conduct himself Noble also writes bluntly about her fears of childbirth. Another accordingly,” writes the author. “Nothing compromises moral- technique she uses is to compare her life with the lives of liter- ity like a long, violent revolution, and George Washington... ary and historical figures. In a piece about one of her relation- remained a bulwark of decency, a remarkable achievement and ships, for instance, she cuts back and forth to and from the story possibly his greatest contribution to the Glorious Cause.” of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Evident throughout is Noble’s A delightfully convincing case that Washington was fondness for reading and literature: Virginia Woolf drifts in and history’s least ruthless and most successful revolutionary. out of a number of essays, and she alludes to Wuthering Heights, Montaigne, Robinson Crusoe, Joan Didion, and Sherwin Nuland, among numerous others. Throughout the collection, Noble THE LADY FROM THE delivers many sharp-edged sentences. At the end of an essay BLACK LAGOON about shotgun shells, Noble writes about a spent shell and her Hollywood Monsters and target: “I hold a shell in my hand and look at the cardboard box the Lost Legacy of half-shredded on the ground. My thumb, the size of the shell; Milicent Patrick the hole, the size of your heart.” O’Meara, Mallory Unique eyes look at familiar things and somehow make Hanover Square Press (368 pp.) them seem both odder and more familiar. $26.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-335-93780-3

REVOLUTIONARY An idiosyncratic, much-needed biog- George Washington at raphy of “a woman before her time.” War Screenwriter and genre film producer O’Meara’s first book O’Connell, Robert L. is an engaging chronicle of Milicent Patrick (1915-1998), a Random House (384 pp.) woman trailblazer in the film industry, as well as the personal $32.00 | Apr. 2, 2019 story of O’Meara’s own, not always pleasant, experiences in the 978-0-8129-9699-9 industry. As the enthusiastic author writes, in 2018, Patrick is “still the only woman to have designed an iconic movie monster.” A provocative biography arguing that Yet “she’s not just the queen of monsters, the goddam Joan of George Washington’s greatest accomplish- Arc.” O’Meara set out on a nearly three-year journey to piece ment was guiding a rare revolution that together the life of this largely unrecognized artist. Mildred turned out well for the revolutionaries. Elisabeth Fulvia Rossi was born in El Paso, Texas. When she Veteran historian O’Connell (Fierce Patriot: The Tangled was 6, her father, Camille, was hired to be the on-site super- Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman, 2014, etc.) reminds readers intendent of construction for the William Randolph Hearst

68 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | A lyrical work of intellectual history, one that Popova’s many followers will await eagerly and that deserves to win her many more. figuring

estate, and Patrick spent 10 wonderful years as “Alice in Won- From there, Boston exerted its unique position by issuing its derland.” Years later, she changed her name in honor of Hearst’s own coins, extending its territorial reach, and “fending off the wife, Millicent (Patrick left out the second “l”). In 1935, she crown’s agents.” Through specific historical personages such as began her study of illustration and drawing at the Chouinard John Adams and African-American poet Phillis Wheatley and Art Institute. In 1938, “her work caught the eye of Walt Disney,” chapters framed on biblical allusions (“The Selling of Joseph”), and she joined his studio, working on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Peterson leads us through the city’s Enlightenment ideals and and Dumbo. Patrick did some bit acting and modeling before how they clashed with the city’s links to the American South’s getting a big break in 1952, when she was the first woman hired slave-driven economy. by Bud Westmore for his famous special effects makeup depart- A meaty, methodical exploration of a crucial American ment at the male-dominated Universal Studios. After design- founding stronghold. (8 color and 69 b/w illustrations; 19 maps) ing monsters for some science-fiction movies, she took on her most famous design, Gill-Man, for the classic Creature from the Black Lagoon, “still one of the best designed and recognizable FIGURING movie monsters in Hollywood history.” She never received any Popova, Maria on-screen credit, and a highly successful tour she did promoting Pantheon (592 pp.) the film got her fired by a jealous Westmore. $30.00 | Feb. 5, 2019 Jam-packed with many funny, goofy footnotes, this 978-1-5247-4813-5 passionately written biography will do much to bring Pat- rick the recognition she deserves. The polymathic Popova, presiding genius behind brainpickings.org, looks

at some of the forgotten heroes of sci- young adult THE CITY-STATE OF BOSTON ence, art, and culture. The Rise and Fall of an “There are infinitely many kinds of Atlantic Power, 1630-1865 beautiful lives,” writes the author at the Peterson, Mark outset. She closes with the realization that while we individuals Princeton Univ. (832 pp.) may die, the beauty of our lives and work, if meaningful, will $39.95 | Mar. 1, 2019 endure: “What will survive of us are shoreless seeds and star- 978-0-691-17999-5 dust.” In between, she peppers thoughtful, lucid consideration of acts of the imagination with stories that, if ever aired before, A historian thoroughly scours the are too little known. Who would have remembered that of all record to resurrect the history of a well- the details of the pioneering astronomer Johannes Kepler’s life, intentioned ideal society that was ulti- one was racing across Germany to come to the aid of his wid- mately “undermined by fatal flaws.” owed mother, who had been charged with witchcraft? The inci- Unlike many of the doomed early American experiments at dent ably frames Kepler’s breaking out of a world governed by colonization, such as Walter Raleigh’s “lost” Roanoke Colony superstition, “a world in which God is mightier than nature, the and other failures in Newfoundland, Boston—created to escape Devil realer and more omnipresent than gravity,” and into a rad- “the imperial decay and religious persecution that threatened ical, entirely different world governed by science. That world England’s government and church”—succeeded, both as a cen- saw many revolutions and advances ahead of the general popu- ter of Atlantic Puritanism as well as a trading hub. Created by a lation, as when, in 1865, Vassar College appointed as its first pro- charter issued by King Charles I in 1629, the “city-state” of Bos- fessor of astronomy a woman, Maria Mitchell, who combined ton, writes Peterson (History/Yale Univ.; The Price of Redemption: a brilliant command of science with a yearning for poetry. So The Spiritual Economy of Puritan New England, 1997), was founded it was with Rachel Carson, the great ecologist, whose love for as a “self-conscious attempt to build an autonomous self-gov- a woman lasted across a life burdened with terrible illness, and erning republic modeled on biblical and classical republican Emily Dickinson, who might have been happier had her own ideals in a New World environment.” Though silver and gold love for a woman been realized. (As it was, Popova notes, the were not discovered nearby, furs and codfish took their place world was ready for Dickinson: A book of her poems published and were entirely exploited due to a judicious bartering with the four years after her death sold 500 copies on the first day of Native inhabitants, who, unlike the early settlers, were hunters publication.) Throughout her complex, consistently stimulat- and fishers. When these commodities became scarce and the ing narrative, the author blends biography, cultural criticism, economy in relation to English trade tanked, the enterpris- and journalism to forge elegant connections: Dickinson feeds ing Bostonians looked to the Caribbean colonies, where sugar in to Carson, who looks back to Mitchell, who looks forward production was booming. They began building their own ships, to Popova herself, and with plenty of milestones along the way: and slaves were imported by the mid-17th century. Sustaining Kepler, Goethe, Pauli, Henry James, Nathaniel Hawthorne.... Indian wars and Atlantic trade competition, Boston emerged A lyrical work of intellectual history, one that Popova’s from being a “backwater, a bystander in the puritan crusade many followers will await eagerly and that deserves to win against the Spanish foe, into a new transatlantic center of her many more. colonization to which other plantations looked for assistance.”

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 69 A GIRL NAMED LOVELY HELP ME! One Child’s Miraculous Power, Marianne Survival and My Journey to Grove (384 pp.) the Heart of Haiti $26.00 | Jan. 15, 2019 Porter, Catherine 978-0-8021-2906-2 Simon & Schuster (304 pp.) $17.99 paper | Feb. 26, 2019 London-based journalist Power chron- 978-1-5011-6809-3 icles the harrowing, often side-splitting adventures she embarked on while pursu- An award-winning Canadian journal- ing happiness and inner peace. ist tells the story of her experiences in “At thirty-six,” writes the author, “my post-earthquake Haiti and of the special friends were ticking off the various life relationship she forged with a young survivor and her family. stages while I was stuck in the same life I’d had since my twen- In January 2010, the Toronto Star sent Porter (now the Can- ties. I was always single, I didn’t own a house, and I didn’t have ada bureau chief for the New York Times) to cover the Haitian a plan.” One weekend, while suffering through a particularly earthquake as a foreign correspondent. Stories of human suf- wicked hangover, Power decided to undertake an extended fering “were on every street corner, each one more compelling safari through the wilds of the self-help aisle. For years, the and alarming than the next,” but the one that captivated her the author had turned to self-help books for “comfort,” affirming most was that of a 2-year-old girl named Lovely, who had been the commonality of her “insecurities and anxieties.” Now, she pulled from the rubble, nearly unharmed, six days after the hit on “an idea that would stop me from being a depressed, hun- earthquake. The author first encountered the child at an emer- gover mess and turn me into a happy, highly functioning person: gency makeshift clinic in Port-au-Prince. Impressed by the girl’s I wasn’t just going to read self-help, I was going to DO self-help.” preternatural toughness, the author searched for—and mirac- Power set out to act on “every single bit of advice” offered by ulously found—the child on a subsequent trip to Haiti. Awed a different self-help book each month for a year in hopes of that the girl had managed to stay alive “many days longer than “systematically” tackling her flaws “one book at a time.” What was medically possible,” Porter decided to write about Lovely. began as a 12-month “plan” slowly morphed into a 16-month Breaking “the cardinal rule of journalism,” she also became “roller coaster” as the author torturously plumbed the recesses directly involved in the girl’s life, paying for her education and of her psyche at the behest of self-help and spiritual behemoths giving money to help her parents get on their feet. The author like Susan Jeffers (Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway), Tony Robbins, also eventually donated money gathered from her Canadian Stephen R. Covey (Power gave up at Habit 2 of the 7 Habits of readers to fund a school. Her efforts met with mixed results: Highly Effective People), and Eckhart Tolle, all in hopes of achiev- Lovely thrived scholastically, but her father failed to make a go ing “some sort of profoundly moving (but neat and tidy) epiph- of his motorcycle taxi business, and they constantly struggled any.” During her grand inner tour, Power faced down some of with their finances. The school Porter funded succeeded, but her darkest demons. Throughout this consistently entertaining money mysteriously went missing from its accounts. Yet in the book, she writes with unflinching honesty—and bald hilarity, end, the author had no regrets. As messy and complicated as especially as she encountered deadpan reality checks from her her relationship to Haiti had become, she also realized that her mother, sisters, and skeptical friends—about the throes of fac- life and the lives of her family members had become immeasur- ing her fears, tackling money issues, living in the present, open- ably enriched through that connection. Powerful and searching, ing herself up to rejection, and getting over her hang-ups with Porter’s book offers an unforgettable account of how one wom- men (“all Power of Now zen vanished in the face of dating”). an’s humanitarian gestures not only changed her, but also made A winner. Bridget Jones meets Buddha in this plucky, a difference in the lives of people living in unimaginable misery. heartwarming, comical debut memoir. A movingly candid memoir about finding some measure of hope in “the poorest country in the western hemi- sphere.” (16-page 4-color insert)

70 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | A wholly engrossing story that joins the worlds of El Chapo and Edward Snowden; both disturbing and memorable. the mastermind

GRAIN BY GRAIN THE MASTERMIND A Quest to Revive Ancient Drugs. Empire. Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Murder. Betrayal. Healthy Food Ratliff, Evan Quinn, Bob & Carlisle, Liz Random House (496 pp.) Island Press (272 pp.) $28.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 $28.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-0-399-59041-2 978-1-61091-995-1 A complex tale of true crime on a An organic farmer and entrepreneur global scale. in Montana shares his experiences and Wired contributor Ratliff (editor: ideas for changing the way America pro- Love and Ruin: Tales of Obsession, Danger, duces its food. and Heartbreak from the Atavist Magazine, 2016), the co-founder The organic spokesman’s story is co-authored by Carl- of Atavist Magazine, digs deep into a story that seems utterly isle (Lecturer/School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental appropriate to the computerized, globalized, transnational age. Sciences/Stanford Univ.), whose previous book, Lentil Under The protagonist is Paul Le Roux, a Zimbabwe-born computer ground (2015), also focused on an entrepreneurial Montana- programmer. Having moved from South Africa to Australia and based organic farmer. After her explanatory prologue, Carlisle later to the Philippines, he discovered early on that cyberspace remains hidden so that the experiences and the opinions rep- was a frontier in which to grow rich serving humankind’s lesser resent Quinn’s voice. The book is partly memoir: Readers learn instincts: pornography, trolling, gambling, addictions of various

about Quinn’s upbringing on a Montana farm, his various ven- kinds. Eventually, as the author foreshadows in an opening salvo young adult tures into organic farming, his work to improve soil quality, and of incidents, he founded a crime network with many nodes his launching of a wind farm and biofuel project. However, the across the world, one with hired killers, corrupt doctors, soft- text serves mainly as an argument about the necessity of valu- ware specialists, and countless other players. One branch began ing quality in food and how it can help heal people instead of by selling painkillers under the flimsiest of medical screenings: making them sick, alleviate poverty by rebuilding rural com- A customer would type in a complaint that she had back pain, munities, and reduce damage to the environment. Central to a doctor would sign off, and drugs would arrive in great quan- the story is an ancient grain from Mesopotamia that Quinn tities, with one small-town Wisconsin pharmacist alone filling experimented with and the building of Kamut International, a 700,000 illegal prescriptions and being paid millions in return large wheat corporation operating internationally. The picture from a Hong Kong bank account. Killings followed as Le Roux that emerges is that of an experienced farmer and a resourceful, stretched his hand to North Korean methamphetamine manu- community-minded businessman. Quinn’s tale is also a diatribe facturers, international mercenaries, Colombian cartels, and against America’s widespread agricultural-industrial complex. black-ops hackers. Writes Ratliff, each of these pieces “seemed He rails against “Americans’ fiercely held attachment to cheap like a kind of message from an adjacent reality that few of us consumer goods, particularly cheap food. Transformed from experience directly”—a reality that ended in a massive counter- producers into consumers at the same time as their economic operation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration status diminished, the American middle class insisted on lower and other law enforcement agencies, bringing down long prison and lower prices, spurred on by corporations like Walmart and sentences and massive fines. “In 2013,” writes the author, “UPS McDonald’s.” That’s the bad news. Quinn does provide evi- paid $40 million to resolve federal accusations of knowingly dence of progress, as more and more people, especially millen- shipping drugs for illegal online pharmacies.” Sifting through nials, are becoming informed consumers, interested in where detail after nefarious detail, Ratliff serves up a taut narrative their food comes from and how it is produced, and an increas- that limns a portrait of a sociopath whose powers were most ing number are becoming farmers, producing organically and definitely used to evil ends. selling locally. The few black-and-white photographs scattered A wholly engrossing story that joins the worlds of throughout add little to the text, which stands alone quite well. El Chapo and Edward Snowden; both disturbing and A compelling agricultural story skillfully told; environ- memorable. mentalists will eat it up.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 71 PRISONER THE TRIAL OF LIZZIE BORDEN My 544 Days in an Robertson, Cara Iranian Prison—Solitary Simon & Schuster (384 pp.) Confinement, a Sham Trial, $28.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 High-Stakes Diplomacy, and 978-1-5011-6837-6 the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out A new history of the trial of the late Rezaian, Jason 19th century: Lizzie Borden (1860-1927), Anthony Bourdain/Ecco (320 pp.) accused of the murder of her father and $29.99 | Jan. 22, 2019 stepmother. 978-0-06-269157-6 Robertson, a former Supreme Court clerk and legal adviser at The Hague, Washington Post opinion writer and CNN contributor amply shows how the wheels of justice often move slowly, by Rezaian recounts his 544 days of imprisonment at the hands of small steps. First, there was an inquest, in which Lizzie tes- the Iranian regime. tified along with her maid, Bridget Sullivan. Lizzie and her A native of Iran whose family had immigrated to the United sister Emma were estranged from their father and, especially, States decades earlier, the author moved to Tehran to head their stepmother. They were also jealous of property their the Washington Post bureau there. It was a good gig, well paid father had purchased for his wife’s sister; attempting to mol- in dollars, while, because his wife was an Iranian citizen, they lify them, unsuccessfully, he had deeded another property to were allowed to pay in local currency. “Life was good,” he writes. them. Accounting for her morning, Lizzie offered differing Although he favored local-color stories, often about food, and statements about what she was doing. With Emma visiting guided Anthony Bourdain through the city for an episode of out of town, it was only Lizzie who had the opportunity to Parts Unknown (this book is published under Bourdain’s imprint), kill both parents, even hours apart. After the inquest came he still managed to fall afoul of the secret police. The charge Lizzie’s arrest and imprisonment, where she exhibited a stoic eventually cooked up for him was definitively Orwellian: “As a demeanor that would carry her from the preliminary hearing member of the American press writing what could only be per- through the trial. She was self-possessed and unruffled, ready ceived as neutral stories about Iran, I was attempting to soften to accept whatever fate dealt her. While she did break down American public opinion toward the Islamic Republic”—a soft- a few times, as when her father’s skull was presented, for the ening that would allow American values to circulate within the most part she seemed confident and intent on following every country. After developing strategies to avoid despair while in testimony. Constantly whispering in the ear of George Rob- solitary confinement (“if you’re lucky you learn to quiet your inson, her lawyer, she seemed to treat the trial as an exercise mind, just a little, and live softly”), Rezaian could do little more in controlling what the jury was allowed to hear. Robertson than wait it out even as Iranian agents threatened to add time presents the story with the thoroughness one expects from an to his sentence because his mother was publicly protesting his attorney, but she manages to avoid the tedious repetitiveness imprisonment. “Why is your mother coordinating with the inherent in a trial by providing close looks at other contem- BBC to ruin your life?” asked one. The author credits a con- poraneous elements such as Lizzie’s attempt to buy poison, a certed campaign on the part of Post editor Martin Baron, his newly discovered hatchet, and the contradictions of the pros- brother, and other intermediaries for his release after having ecution’s witnesses. been “the plaything of some of the nastiest authoritarian ideo- Readers are given every bit of evidence available and logues to roam the earth in many decades.” Rezaian also allows will be hard-pressed to reach a verdict; it’s fun trying, that one of his captors got at least one thing right: He correctly though. Fans of crime novels will love it. predicted the outcome of the 2016 election in the U.S., saying, “Trump is the candidate that hates Muslims most.” Of interest to students of the Iranian system as well as CHINA’S INVISIBLE free-press advocates. CRISIS How a Growing Urban- Rural Divide Could Sink the World’s Second-Largest Economy Rozelle, Scott & Johnson, Natalie Basic (288 pp.) $28.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-5416-4482-3

A sharply focused study that elucidates clearly why China faces grave problems in shifting to the next growth level.

72 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | A smooth, expert, and often startling history that emphasizes that no behavior separates us from other animals, but we remain an utterly unique species. the book of humans

Economist Rozelle (co-author: From Marx and Mao to the in a baby, only one actually does, as he reports in a long section Markets: The Economics and Politics of Agrarian Transition, 2006, shooting down the belief that only humans have sex for plea- etc.), the co-director of Stanford’s Rural Education Action Pro- sure. The author then steps back, admitting that one can never gram, has observed and worked in China for more than 30 years, know why nonhumans engage in nonproductive intercourse, especially within the vast, poor, rural interior that is worlds but innumerable creatures do so. Readers under the illusion apart from the shiny stories of the upwardly mobile and edu- that behavior like homosexuality, anal intercourse, and even cated in the megacities. In this compelling study that reads like necrophilia are “contrary to nature” will learn that the oppo- a cautionary tale, Rozelle and researcher Johnson encapsulate site is true. Rutherford also ably explores current conceptions the divide between rural and urban in China, underscored by and focus on cooperation through communication. Animals the hukou system (the household registration system), which can deliver signals, and a few ancestors of Homo sapiens may have delineates all residents at birth as either rural or urban, and talked, but we took it to a new level. “We transmit information,” explain why this discrepancy is a looming problem. The authors writes the author, “not just via DNA down the generations, but note that 36 percent of China’s population is urban and thus in every direction, to people with whom we have no immediate fairly well-educated, yet the remaining 64 percent (as many as biological ties. We log our knowledge and experience, and share 700 million people) is rural and uneducated. For many years, them. It is in the teaching of others, the shaping of culture, and there was no glaring crisis with this discrepancy since globaliza- the telling of stories, that we created ourselves.” tion dictated that factories and industry recruited the legions A smooth, expert, and often startling history that of low-skilled labor for their needs. However, now that wages emphasizes that no behavior separates us from other ani- have risen, the workforce is fully employed, and factories have mals, but we remain an utterly unique species. moved to cheaper places like Vietnam, China is wrestling with

the “Middle-Income Trap,” and it cannot move higher (as South young adult Korea, Ireland, and Taiwan have done) because it has woefully AFTER THE MIRACLE neglected its human capital. Like Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, and The Lasting Brotherhood of South Africa, China is stuck, and as long as the vast majority the ’69 Mets of its population is not trained for the next level—due to inad- Shamsky, Art & Sherman, Erik equate education, nutrition, and early childhood development— Simon & Schuster (336 pp.) the Chinese may turn to the informal sector and to crime while $28.00 | Mar. 19, 2019 its leaders are lured to nationalism. 978-1-5011-7651-7 A convincing argument and stern warning—with ample worse- and best-case scenarios—that without investment A fond remembrance of a legendary in human capital, a struggling country cannot rise. baseball team and the teammates who kept in touch throughout the ensuing decades. THE BOOK OF HUMANS On Oct. 16, 1969, the New York Mets defeated the heavily 4 Billion Years, 20,000 Genes, favored Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series. Playing in and the New Story of How We right field for those Mets was Shamsky The( Magnificent Seasons: Became Us How the Jets, Mets, and Knicks Made Sports History and Uplifted a Rutherford, Adam City and the Country, 2016), who—along with sportswriter Sher- The Experiment (272 pp.) man (Kings of Queens: Life Beyond Baseball with the ’86 Mets, 2016, $25.95 | Mar. 19, 2019 etc.)—offers a narrative of that season and later memories 978-1-61519-531-2 anchored by the teammates’ 2016 trip to visit ailing pitching ace Tom Seaver. On paper, the 1969 Mets were average. Outfielder A lively exploration of “the epic Cleon Jones finished third in the National League in batting aver- meandering journey that every organism age, yet no one on the team hit more than 26 home runs or drove has made.” in more than 76 runs. The team succeeded because of two main That humans are conscious, cultured, and much cleverer factors: the guiding hand of their manager, Gil Hodges (“Sixty- than any other animal—but an animal nevertheless—is no nine would never have happened if not for Gil Hodges,” says secret to popular science writers. A steady stream of books Jones), and the fact that these Mets, in the words of first baseman explains how we got that way, and readers will not regret choos- and World Series MVP Donn Clendenon, “epitomized the word ing this cheerful addition to the genre from British science jour- team.” Thus Shamsky, who hit .300 that season, split time in right nalist Rutherford (A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: field with Ron Swoboda, who made a key catch in Game 4 of the The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes, 2017, etc.). Humans World Series. Neither Clendenon nor Swoboda had played a sin- use tools, he explains, but many mammals and birds do the gle game in the National League Championship Series. The nar- same. They are often no more than sticks poked into a hole to rative of the season itself, which takes up two-thirds of the book, tease out food, but ingenious variations arise; many are adopted is informative and entertaining, and Shamsky effectively places by others, becoming a rudimentary cultural element. In the the team’s magical year within the social and political contexts of author’s native Britain, out of 1,000 sexual acts that could result 1969, including the moon landing, the Vietnam War (shortstop

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 73 Bud Harrelson missed time to fulfill his military obligation), and THE AGE OF the now-all-but-forgotten rioting in York, Pennsylvania. More- DISENCHANTMENTS over, the author persuasively argues that the team helped unify The Epic Story of Spain’s New Yorkers during a turbulent time. However, the reunion itself Most Notorious Literary is somewhat anticlimactic, and Shamsky probably overstates his Family and the Long Shadow case that the ’69 Mets inspired the nation as a whole. of the Spanish Civil War An enjoyable tale of a storybook season. Shulman, Aaron Ecco/HarperCollins (496 pp.) $29.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 THE TROUBLE WITH MEN 978-0-06-248419-2 Reflections on Sex, Love, Marriage, Porn, and Power A prominent literary family reflects Shields, David Spain’s tumultuous past. Mad Creek/Ohio State Univ. Press Making his book debut, journalist Shulman creates a deeply (188 pp.) researched portrait of the Paneros, one of Spain’s most notori- $18.95 paper | Feb. 25, 2019 ous families: patriarch Leopoldo (1909-1962), a well-regarded 978-0-8142-5519-3 poet during the Franco dictatorship; his unhappy wife, Feli- cidad; and his three tormented sons. The author’s fascination The provocative essayist contem- with the family began in 2012, when he watched El desencanto, plates the precarious mechanics of a documentary made in 1976, in which Felicidad and her adult human intimacy. sons spoke candidly about their relationships with Leopoldo In this bold mixture of stark honesty and humor, Shields and one another, revealing anger, bitterness, and loneliness. (Other People: Takes & Mistakes, 2017, etc.) ponders how sex, love, The movie elevated the Paneros “into a cultural phenomenon,” attraction, and power all coalesce to both fortify and compli- Shulman writes, and sparked his own interest in the family’s cate the human mating experience. Snippets and subdivisions of “refreshing weirdness, poetic obsessions, and sacrilegious taste thought, critiques, and inspired scenarios abound as the author’s for destruction.” He is not alone in responding to their “last- entertaining musings range from confessional—he unmasks facing magnetism.” They have inspired academic studies, fiction, ets of his own marriage and imagines a love letter to his wife or a poetry, songs, films, memoirs, volumes of correspondence, and novel about their exchange of sexual fantasies—to examinations republication of their own works—“a literary subgenre unto of oddities and taboo aspects of sexuality. The author explores themselves.” Central to the family’s story is the question of Leo- intimate relationships through personal examples and experi- poldo’s commitment to fascism. Like others of his generation, ences as well as copious references and allusions (presented in a he chose “survival over principles” in supporting Franco, “warts collage style similar to that of the author’s Reality Hunger) drawn and all.” As a well-respected poet, he knew that Spain needed from a spectrum of well-respected writers, poets, journalists, and cultured men “to burnish the country’s reputation—and to medical professionals; most reinforce Shields’ ideas and assess- defend it, a cause he assiduously took up.” He served as a cen- ments and add zesty commentary to an already fiery topic. The sor, took a diplomatic post in London (where he befriended T.S. book is separated into five sections, each one progressively more Eliot), directed a government-sponsored literary magazine, con- explicit. An introductory chapter of bite-sized observations on vened literary conferences, and became editorial director of the human togetherness as seen through the lens of popular culture Spanish Reader’s Digest. If his political stance enraged the likes heralds further introspections on the author’s own emotional of Pablo Neruda, who attacked him as “a Francoist executioner,” landscape. Personal anecdotes on his awkward adolescence and in Spain his reputation flourished. A success professionally, his family life and scenes of both romantic love and explicit sex interpersonal life was a mess. He was, Shulman reveals, “a cryptic, weave with outtakes from an ensemble of opinionated voices— complicated, and often difficult man, and his personality and e.g., utterances from a pre-presidential Donald Trump and a the power he wielded over his family left a profound mark on piece by sexologist Pepper Schwartz that psychoanalyzes Bernie his wife and children.” Felicidad felt unloved and oppressed; his Madoff’s behavior. In the opening pages of a graphically descrip- sons, beset by their own demons, failed to achieve the literary tive chapter on sexual fantasy and pornography (“the world’s one success to which they aspired. Spain’s roiling history, beginning true religion”), Shields asks, “is sex really that awful?” The answer, in the 1930s, forms the backdrop to the family’s turmoil. found in a dizzying array of explicit and racy perspectives, will A richly detailed history chronicles a family’s pain. depend on the reader’s reactions to the author’s revealing adventures, each buttressed by a supporting chorus of sex-positive cheerleaders and damning naysayers. Entertaining and contemplative, Shields offers focused philosophy and effervescent wisdom on some of society’s knottiest topics. A sharp-eyed collection of bits and pieces that will appeal, at least in part, to readers on both hot and cold sides of the intimacy spectrum.

74 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | An anthology that arguably holds more contemporary importance as a historical document than the original release. free all along

FREE ALL ALONG EINSTEIN’S UNFINISHED The Robert Penn Warren Civil REVOLUTION Rights Interviews The Search for What Lies Smith, Stephen Drury & Beyond the Quantum Ellis, Catherine—Eds. Smolin, Lee New Press (336 pp.) Penguin Press (352 pp.) $26.99 | Feb. 5, 2019 $28.00 | Apr. 9, 2019 978-1-59558-818-0 978-1-59420-619-1

An anthology reinvigorates Robert The latest update on physicists’ pain- Penn Warren’s long-overlooked collec- ful efforts to make sense of quantum tion of civil rights interviews. mechanics. Published in 1965, Warren’s oral history Who Speaks for the So far they’ve failed, but Smolin (Time Reborn: From the Negro? received mostly lukewarm reviews and little fanfare. Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, 2013, etc.), a found- Among critics, the 450-page volume of interviews was billed ing faculty member of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical as everything from “the very best inside report” on the civil Physics, believes they’re on the right track, and readers who rights movement to “boring.” The interviewees include Mar- pay close attention may understand what he is attempting to tin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael, and explain. Einstein’s theory of relativity delivered an accurate the volume brims with Warren’s own reflections, revealing as explanation of space, time, and matter for most of the universe, much about the author as it did the movement (critics claimed but it breaks down at the level of atoms: the quantum world.

it had nothing new to say). After decades of fading from mem- Quantum mechanics works beautifully but only by postulating young adult ory, Yale University Press reprinted Who Speaks? in 2014. Here, paradoxes and nonsensical behavior such as an electron being Smith and Ellis (co-editors: Say It Loud: Great Speeches on Civil both a particle and a wave depending on the experiment. Ein- Rights and African American Identity, 2010, etc.) present a modi- stein insisted that this didn’t make sense, but most colleagues fied, highly relevant version of Warren’s enormous undertak- had no objection. Smolin reminds readers that this is an arguing. “In this edited anthology,” they write, “the focus is on the ment between realists and nonrealists. Realists ask, “does the interviews themselves.” Not all of the interviews are retained— natural world exist independently of our minds?” and “can we but two are added: Septima T. Clark and Andrew Young—and understand enough about the laws of nature to explain the his- Smith and Ellis stripped away the poet’s personal observations tory of our universe and predict its future?” Current quantum and digressions, returning to the raw transcripts and allowing theory says no. Nobel Prize winner Louis de Broglie proposed the stand-alone interviews to drive home their own measures of a “realistic” explanation in his 1927 pilot wave theory. Unlike the insight. One example is the opening interview with the Rev. Joe already dominant anti-realist view of Bohr and Heisenberg, his Carter, the first African-American to register to vote in Loui- electron remains a particle, and an electron-wave flows through siana’s West Feliciana Parish. What is now published as pure space, directing the particle where to go. The concept of pilot monologue describes in powerful detail Carter’s 1963 experi- waves did not catch on, but after 1950, some mainstream physi- ence of harassment and arrest by a mob of whites as he defiantly cists began looking seriously into realistic theories through attempted to register. Among other changes, the editors shed concepts such as hidden variables, the many-worlds view, and Warren’s interview titles, replacing them with the subject, date, nonlocality. None of these men are household names, and their and location followed by a page of “biographical and historical studies poke a few holes in traditional theory without simplify- context.” ing matters. Since quantum mechanics continues to work well, It’s clear the editors made dozens of nips and tucks to most physicists pay little attention. maximize their stated goal of “clear and engaging reading” This is a philosophical debate that has disturbed while remaining “faithful to the spirit and substance of the thoughtful scientists for a century. Its ideas are fundamen- conversations.” The result is an anthology that arguably tal, but the details are complex. Smolin works hard and holds more contemporary importance as a historical docu- with mixed success to explain these to a lay readership. ment than the original release.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 75 TEN CAESARS Journalist Stroud has developed a specialized beat for peri- Roman Emperors from odicals about corporations who develop technologies for law Augustus to Constantine enforcement agencies and prisons. In this overview, he shows Strauss, Barry pointedly that technological devices—including Tasers, body Simon & Schuster (416 pp.) cameras, computerized crime control, facial recognition soft- $28.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 ware, surveillance cameras in public places, and cellphone 978-1-4516-6883-4 tracking—may make policing more convenient but do not lead to better outcomes. Much of the narrative is historical, as the A set of lively biographies of the 10 author explains how law enforcement evolved in the United best-known emperors of Rome. States. He takes readers back to 1905, when Berkeley, Califor- Few educated readers respect many nia—like many cities at the time—lacked a police department. of Hollywood’s grandiose versions of So an ambitious local resident named August Vollmer created events (though HBO’s series, Rome, did better), so history buffs a law enforcement unit and sought out whatever firepower will not wince to read about the cruelty, murder, betrayal, and technology could provide. Some of Vollmer’s ideas—hiring arrogance of even highly regarded emperors. Rocking no boats, educated officers, reaching out directly to neighborhoods Strauss (History and Classics/Cornell Univ.; The Death of Cae (although more enthusiastically to white enclaves than those sar: The Story of History’s Most Famous Assassination, 2015, etc.), with people of color)—were progressive. However, the brute who has written numerous useful popular books on the clas- force Vollmer employed set the tone. A century later, Stroud sical period, agrees that the ancient Republic was moribund explains, the massive police departments that can most eas- when Julius Caesar delivered the coup de grace. But it took a ily afford technology, especially Los Angeles and New York vicious 20-year civil war before his grand-nephew took power City, are the leaders, with smaller departments often following in 27 B.C.E. and proclaimed the restoration of the old Roman examples that may be counterproductive. The author’s primary Republic; then he gradually assumed the mantel of emperor as narrative thread involves the development and marketing of Augustus. Historians and contemporaries agree that he did a stun guns, which are often referred to by the name of one brand, solid job as emperor, and he was widely mourned at his death. the Taser. Though Stroud’s lengthy discussions about the finan- Few historians but Strauss admire his dour successor, Tiberius, cial hurdles faced by stun gun manufacturers become tiresome, who, although a general, avoided war and continued the nearly on the whole, the author writes clearly and compellingly, and 200 years of Pax Romana. The author delivers short accounts of he shows how some companies oversold their technologies to all emperors during these years, expanding on the not-always- police based on a desperation for profits. Stroud also weaves awful Nero and the admirable Vespasian, Trajan, Hadrian, and in concerns about ethics and civil rights and how, often, “the ending with Marcus Aurelius, who closed out Rome’s golden confidence that politicians place in [the technology] reflects an years. Strauss skims over the disastrous century that followed oversimplified understanding of the underlying difficulties.” before concentrating on Diocletian and Constantine, who sta- A useful book. Wisely, Stroud never loses sight of an bilized the empire mostly through persistent warfare but also overriding reality: that technology is never a substitute for reorganized the administration, largely abandoning the city of compassionate policing based on trust between cops and Rome and the western realm, which vanished a century later, the citizens they are paid to serve. leaving the wealthier eastern Byzantine empire to continue for more than another 1,000 years. Fresh documentary evidence on these times rarely ONCE A WOLF turns up to add to the skimpy surviving chronicles (by The Science Behind Our Dogs’ Pliny, Tacitus, Cassius Dio, Suetonius et al.), so popular Astonishing histories have little new ground to break. They must be Genetic Evolution read for pleasure, and this one delivers good value. (8-page Sykes, Bryan b/w insert; b/w illustrations throughout; 3 maps) Liveright/Norton (320 pp.) $27.95 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-63149-379-9 THIN BLUE LIE The Failure of How did wolves evolve into dogs? High-Tech Policing Sykes (Genetics/Oxford Univ.; The Nature Stroud, Matt of the Beast, 2015, etc.) reviews the state of Metropolitan/Henry Holt (272 pp.) the art on matters canine and lupine. $28.00 | Mar. 19, 2019 Past studies of canine evolution have relied on osteo- 978-1-250-10829-6 logical and archaeological evidence, but since 2005, the fully sequenced dog genome has been available, allowing, among An exploration of how high-tech other things, for “re-drawing the evolutionary tree of dog advancements in law enforcement are breeds constructed with mitochondrial DNA over twenty failing. years previously.” Five years later, writes the author, a new

76 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | Fans of Markoff, Levy, Lanier et al. will want to have a look at this intriguing portrait of coding and coders. coders

family tree was published, with all 64 breeds—even the Chi- among them was Charlotte Mason, an heiress who inherited huahua—pointing back to the wolf. Some of those breeds her husband’s vast wealth after his death in 1905. Among her are “ancient,” such as the Basenji and Samoyed; others are passions were parapsychology, psychic healing, and African- quite recent. Making those breeds required domestication, Americans and Indians, who she believed were unsullied by “the for which Sykes finds no evidence before about 50,000 years ills of civilization” and possessed of “primitive creativity and ago—still far earlier than previous studies have projected. spirituality [that] would energize and renew America.” A major Like other scholars, the author locates that origin in shared collector of African art, she disdained white culture, declar- hunting, a process that may have altered humans as much as ing herself “eternally black.” In 1927, she decided to become dogs in “the unstoppable current of natural selection.” Schol- a personal patron to many figures of the Niggerati. She must arly argument persists over whether the original raw mate- be called Godmother, she insisted, and demanded nothing less rials of the dog were really wolves and not coyotes, jackals, than complete filial devotion in exchange for monthly stipends hyenas, and other canids. Sykes charts the development of of $150 (for Hughes) and $200 (for Hurston) to allow them to the Carnivora before settling, persuasively, on the scenario of pursue their work. Mason, Taylor writes, was “a jealous god, Paleolithic hunters working in concert with wolves to bring controlling and wrathful,” dictating what kind of projects her down large game such as bison. The author goes on to exam- “children” pursued and, in Hurston’s case, prohibiting her from ine some of the mutations that subsequently allowed human showing her writing to anyone without Mason’s consent. Draw- breeders to select for certain characteristics, whether the ing on published and archival sources, Taylor creates a percep- ridge of the ridgeback or the pigmentation of the bull terrier tive portrait of the bizarre patron and of the Hurston-Hughes (with a passing nod to the heterochromia exhibited by David friendship. Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust). Melanism, hyperuremia, progressive A fresh look at two important writers of the 1920s. (9 rod-cone retinal degeneration: The author’s discussion can be b/w photos) young adult densely technical at times but never enough to render the text inaccessible to those without a background in genetics and population dynamics. Moreover, he closes by looking outside CODERS of nature to find the nurture connected to our love of dogs, The Making of a New Art and that “amazing psychic symbiosis.” the Remaking of the World Scientifically inclined dog lovers will find this a trove of Thompson, Clive information and provocation. (20 b/w photos) Penguin Press (448 pp.) $28.00 | Mar. 26, 2019 978-0-7352-2056-0 ZORA AND LANGSTON A Story of Friendship and Of computer technology and its Betrayal discontents. Taylor, Yuval Computers can do all kinds of cool Norton (304 pp.) things. The reason they can, writes tech journalist Thompson $27.95 | Mar. 26, 2019 (Smarter than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for 978-0-393-24391-8 the Better, 2013), is that a coder has gotten to the problem. “Pro- grammers spend their days trying to get computers to do new The tale of a famous literary friend- things,” he writes, “so they’re often very good at understand- ship that ended in bitterness. ing the crazy what-ifs that computers make possible.” Some of Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) and those things, of course, have proven noxious: Facebook allows Langston Hughes (1901-1967) were major you to keep in touch with high school friends but at the expense figures of the Harlem Renaissance and, for several years, collab- of spying on your every online movement. Yet they’re kind of orators and loving friends. Taylor (co-author: Darkest America: comprehensible, since they’re based on language: Coding prob- Black Minstrelsy from Slavery to Hip-Hop, 2012, etc.), senior editor lems are problems of words and thoughts and not numbers at the Chicago Review Press, places their friendship at the cen- alone. Thompson looks at some of the stalwarts and heroes of ter of a revealing examination of the alliances, betrayals, rival- the coding world, many of them not well-known—Ruchi Sang- ries, and aspirations that characterized the African-American hvi, for example, who worked at Facebook and Dropbox before literary and arts world in the 1920s and beyond. In 1926, Hur- starting a sort of think tank “aimed at convincing members to ston bestowed the nickname “Niggerati” on the many young pick a truly new, weird area to examine.” If you want weird these writers and artists, “opposed to the literary conventions of the days, you get into artificial intelligence, of which the author has older generation of the black elite,” who gathered in Manhattan a qualified view. Humans may be displaced by machines, but the for social and literary activities. They were supported—some- vaunted singularity probably won’t happen anytime soon. Prob- times with publicity, sometimes financially—by admiring white ably. Thompson is an enthusiast and a learned scholar alike: He New Yorkers Hurston called “Negrotarians,” including Carl Van reckons that BASIC is one of the great inventions of history, Vechten, Hart Crane, Muriel Draper, Max Eastman, Eugene being one of the ways “for teenagers to grasp, in such visceral O’Neill, George Gershwin, and H.L. Mencken. Foremost and palpable ways, the fabric of infinity.” Though big tech is in

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 77 the ascendant, he writes, there’s a growing number of young THE GRAND FOOD BARGAIN programmers who are attuned to the ethical issues surrounding And the Mindless Drive for what they do, demanding, for instance, that Microsoft not pro- More vide software to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Walker, Kevin D. agency. Those coders, writes Thompson, are “the one group of Island Press (360 pp.) people VCs and CEOs cannot afford to entirely ignore,” mak- $30.00 | Mar. 26, 2019 ing them the heroes of the piece in more ways than one. 978-1-61091-947-0 Fans of Markoff, Levy, Lanier et al. will want to have a look at this intriguing portrait of coding and coders. A cri de coeur against the excesses of industrial agriculture in a time in which bigger is usually anything but better. SISSY Walker, a farmer and international A Coming-of-Gender Story development worker, opens with a telling anecdote of traveling Tobia, Jacob across the Kalahari Desert with a San Bushman who located a Putnam (336 pp.) clutch of ostrich eggs and, choosing one to eat, left the rest to $26.00 | Mar. 5, 2019 hatch, “something almost unfathomable to a Westerner.” That’s 978-0-7352-1882-6 because, by the author’s account, Westerners have passed through the phase of gathering and then the great leap forward A gender nonconforming writer and of settled agriculture to a “third relationship to food,” the bargain performer debuts with a memoir about of the title that says that I get lots of cheap food from you in turn growing into the “most effervescent, gor- for not asking you too many questions about how that food was geous, dignified sissy that the world has produced. Where food shortages had been the norm and a driver ever seen.” of history, now food surpluses have become common and, where From early childhood, Tobia’s “femininity came as naturally not common, much desired standards to attain. The result? as my masculinity.” But in a household defined by a “mundane, Walker offers a familiar litany of examples, such as tomatoes that practical masculinity,” Tobia found few avenues for self-expres- don’t taste like tomatoes and potatoes whose nutrients have been sion. Once in preschool, the author found that gender iden- stripped away, the better to make the tubers “a cheap medium to tity was so heavily policed by parents, teachers, and other deliver fats (oils, butter, sour cream) and sugars (ketchup).” There children that they renounced all outward markers of feminin- are some useful data on hand here, such as the author’s observa- ity a few years later. Church—and specifically, the handbell tion that a “refined” food is one where just those nutrients have choir—became a space that allowed Tobia to quietly “queen been removed and an “enriched” food is one where those nutri- out.” The author also discovered another refuge among school- ents have been added back in. It’s quantity and not quality that mates whose tastes in anime and fantasy allowed them access drives such a system, the desire for profit over considerations of to “lots of gay-leaning stuff: shows about sparkly dragons, car- environmental and human health that yields such things as corn- toons about fairies, anime with buff shirtless dudes screaming based biofuels. Readers of Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson, or of in ecstasy as they shot their giant laser beams at other dudes.” Barbara Kingsolver and Michael Pollan, will have a good handle Female high school friends gradually helped the author take on these matters already, and it’s a touch obvious to note that their first steps toward accepting their homosexuality and femi- “America’s track record of recognizing and then stewarding finite ninity. But Tobia still faced opposition from others, including resources has not been good.” the members of their beloved church congregation. It was in A well-intentioned book that doesn’t bring much new the relative freedom of college at Duke that Tobia fought to to the table. claim their “femininity in the light of day.” By senior year, the author, who was a member of the Biden Foundation’s Advisory Council for Advancing LGBTQ Equality, became a respected, POLITICAL ACTION highly visible gender activist who proudly wore skirts and heels. A Practical Guide to Tobia’s “coming-of-gender” story about a trans identity that Movement Politics refuses to be contained within the cisgender masculine/femi- Walzer, Michael nine binary, is refreshing, courageous, and important. Though New York Review Books (110 pp.) the author sometimes overdoes the self-congratulation and $14.95 paper | Feb. 5, 2019 snarkiness, these flaws are more than overcome by the feisty 978-1-68137-353-9 candor and wit, especially when discussing their relationship with their parents and the church that at first rejected but then The reissue of a political action finally accepted Tobia’s sparkling “queer spirit.” guidebook that has withstood the evolu- A funny, sharply observed, and intelligent journey into tion of American government. self-identity. Originally published in 1971 and preceding a prolific oeuvre of treatises and foreign policy critiques, Walzer’s (Emeritus, Institute for

78 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | An elegantly written, absorbing portrait of a visionary man and his age. the catalogue of shipwrecked books

Advanced Study at Princeton; A Foreign Policy for the Left, 2018, narrative of the perils of 16th-century exploration, where the etc.) first political call to action resonates as much in today’s atmosphere onboard ship was rife with panic, paranoia, and tense, precarious climate as it did when the author originally rebellion; giant lizards crawled the shore; sharks circled men- crafted it. Writing in the weeks just following the American acingly in the waters; and sweltering, mosquito-infested islands invasion of Cambodia, the author drew ideas and inspira- were inhabited by hostile tribes. The author’s focus, though, tion from his experiences as a civil rights and anti-war activist. is not on Columbus but rather on Hernando, who became Throughout this brief, lucid guide, he illustrates the sequential obsessed with two missions: to burnish his father’s reputation steps necessary to become active in citizen politics, beginning and to amass a vast, comprehensive library of printed matter: with discovering a movement one is passionate about, find- books, images, pamphlets, and all manner of ephemera. For ing support, and discovering an initiative that “belongs to its Hernando, his father’s quest of circumnavigating the Earth was members, as do, for a time at least, the crucial decisions.” While akin to “enclosing its knowledge in one library” and thereby the author educates and instructs on the nuances of resistance gaining power and control over the unknown. Traveling exten- movements, he also cautions readers against the dangers of sively, he acquired thousands of books: 1,674 from Venice; 4,200 hubris and avoiding the pitfalls of indulging in the “fantasies of from a trip to northern Europe, and, eventually, 3,204 printed social and political changes they cannot actually bring about.” images, the largest collection in the world. His library swelled He poses key questions on whether movements should be single to over 15,000 volumes, making it the largest private collection issue–oriented or represent a palette of special interests. The in Europe. But even more astonishing than the sheer number answers, viewed through Walzer’s highly practical, intellectual of items was Hernando’s intricate system of ordering. From lens, steer budding movements toward a single cause initially. an early 20-page handwritten index, an alphabetical key to the He counsels readers on the importance of a movement project- people, things, and concepts in Suetonius’ Lives of the Twelve ing a “national image,” lists the qualities inherent in an effective Caesars, Hernando developed several encyclopedias and inven- young adult leader, the pros and cons of money raised and spent, strategic tories as well as a card catalog that enabled readers “to digest tactical political maneuvers, and how to cope with both internal many volumes at a sitting, sorting relevant material from irrel- and external conflict and antagonism. “Solidarity is a political evant.” As Wilson-Lee aptly notes, with “profound intuition” tie,” he writes, “subject to political strains.” Ultimately, Walzer’s about the potential of burgeoning printed information, Her- potent manual validates protest movements of the past while nando created, in effect, the first “search engine.” underscoring the relevance of resistance initiatives in the con- An elegantly written, absorbing portrait of a visionary temporary political climate. With a new preface by the author man and his age. (illustrations and maps) and introduction by Nation contributing editor Jon Wiener, this remains an inspired political motivating tool and an erudite work of political food for thought. THE PROMISE An authoritative master plan for forming effective, Tales of Love and Loss in influential citizen activism. China Xinran Trans. by Spencer, William THE CATALOGUE OF I.B. Tauris (288 pp.) SHIPWRECKED BOOKS $24.95 | Feb. 28, 2019 Christopher Columbus, 978-1-78831-362-9 His Son, and the Quest to Build the World’s Greatest Love in a time of totalitarianism. Library “The past century has seen more Wilson-Lee, Edward upheaval than any other time in the Scribner (416 pp.) 5,000-year-old history of Chinese civi- $30.00 | Mar. 12, 2019 lization,” writes Xinran (Buy Me the Sky: The Remarkable Truth 978-1-982111-39-7 of China’s One-Child Generations, 2015, etc.), a London-based journalist whose books have focused on social mores and The story of Christopher Columbus’ family life in her homeland. “The ways in which people show illegitimate son who became a humanist and scholar in the age love for each other have also changed in the face of war and of Renaissance and Reformation. cultural development.” One such change is an emphasis on In 1502, 13-year-old Hernando Colón (1488-1539) accompa- “talking love.” Since public displays of affection are not com- nied his father on his last trans-Atlantic voyage, a disastrous monplace and privacy is difficult to secure, it is a way of falling expedition marked by mutiny, betrayal, storms, and starva- in love by conversing and negotiating. So the dictionary says, tion. Columbus returned to Spain a broken man, though no though Xinran insists it is far less clinical than all that. By way less a hero in his son’s eyes. Wilson-Lee (English/Sidney Sussex of illustration, she examines the course of a single family over Coll., Cambridge; Shakespeare in Swahililand: Adventures with the a century, beginning with the marriage of a man and woman Ever-Living Poet, 2016), drawing on rich historical and archival in 1919 who then went on to produce nine children whom sources—including Hernando’s writings—creates a thrilling they named after favorite colors: Orange, Green, Cyan, and so

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 1 january 2019 | 79 forth. Getting to their stories, as Xinran writes, required navi- the author supported during the 2016 election. (She zings the gating difficult tangles of emotion; so psychically painful were winner of that election a few times, too.) many of the events of war and revolution that older Chinese Broad-ranging, introspective, and honest essays that people invent less terrible pasts for themselves, a comfort to reveal a fine writer’s experiences, mind, and heart. (11 the memory but one that weighs against historical accuracy. illustrations) Of the pre-revolutionary generation, those memories are of a country that no longer exists. The child named Red, for instance, was contracted in marriage when she was just 9: “My marriage sentence began that day,” she tells Xinran quietly, later remembering an argument from long ago over whether to believe newspaper accounts of the Korean War. Relates Green, three of the siblings went abroad, three remained in Communist China, and “three met death before their time.” Their descendants now live much different lives, including a young woman who studied in the U.S. and dates an American whom she met there: “Doesn’t it sound just like a love story from a movie?” A minor but graceful work that restores a lost generation to history.

THIS FISH IS FOWL Essays of Being Xu Xi Univ. of Nebraska (304 pp.) $19.95 | Mar. 1, 2019 978-1-4962-0682-4

A novelist and essayist with a peri- patetic life returns with a collection of recent and revealing pieces that range from the intensely personal to the ana- lytical to the appreciative. Xu Xi, who writes in English, has published a number of novels (That Man in Our Lives, 2016) and a memoir (Dear Hong Kong, 2017). Here, she collects 30 tight essays—many previously published—and arranges them, sometimes chronologically, in four categories. Among the most wrenching are those dealing with her mother’s long descent into Alzheimer’s and the author’s care for her (“the typhoon that was my mother’s Alzheimer’s changed my world, shifting all its known compass points”). The author is also candid about her two divorces, her current and long-lasting relationship with another man, and her brother’s death. She also writes affectingly about writing itself: why she writes in English (she says her Chinese is not all that good) and how she, in some ways, disappointed her mother, who did not eagerly approve of her daughter’s decision to become a writer. The author also chronicles a long process of decision about what she should do besides write—something that would earn her a steady, predictable income. She was in the corporate world for a number of years and then moved into academe, where she now works as the co-director of the MFA program in creative writing and literary translation at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. In one essay, the author discusses how she likes to “loaf,” but these essays reveal a writer who is intensely focused on her work. There are a few political pieces, as well, including one that features, woven throughout, letters to Hillary Clinton, whom

80 | 1 january 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | children’s These titles earned the Kirkus Star: WILLIAM WAKES UP Ashman, Linda Illus. by Groenink, Chuck SUPERLATIVE BIRDS by Leslie Bulion; illus. by Robert Meganck....83 Disney-Hyperion (40 pp.) $17.99 | Feb. 5, 2019 STEVE GOES TO CARNIVAL by Joshua Button & Robyn Wells; 978-1-4847-2283-1 illus. by Joshua Button...... 83 BECAUSE OF THE RABBIT by Cynthia Lord...... 90 A young boy and his animal friends awaken from a long winter’s nap and pre- THE WOOLLY MONKEY MYSTERIES by Sandra Markle...... 92 pare to welcome a special guest. William looks out the window of his forest cabin to a dawn- THE TRUE HISTORY OF LYNDIE B. HAWKINS ing, blooming world. Calling to the hibernating animals who by Gail Shepherd...... 94

share his bed, he says, “Wake up! It’s spring! / Today’s the day— young adult THE DAY THE UNIVERSE EXPLODED MY HEAD / a special guest is on the way.” Only Chipmunk answers the call by Allan Wolf; illus. by Anna Raff...... 98 initially, and the two bake together until they realize the job is too big for just them. William returns to the bed, calling the THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD AND ME by Toni Yuly...... 98 other animals one by one to come assist in the cleaning and decorating. When “special guest” Bluebird finally arrives—and VROOM VROOM GARBAGE TRUCK by Asia Citro; after sluggard Raccoon agrees to help Bluebird build its nest— illus. by Troy Cummings...... 107 they finally sit down to a spring picnic. The animals wake in a LITTLE BOAT by Taro Gomi...... 117 similar order to how they settled in during Ashman and Groe- nink’s previous book, William’s Winter Nap (2017). And as with WHY THE FACE? by Jean Jullien...... 121 that title, the countdown and the rhyming text with a repeating chorus make this an ideal read-aloud for young listeners. The WILL LADYBUG HUG? by Hilary Leung...... 123 mostly mono- and bisyllabic vocabulary lends a simple elegance to the tale. Earth tones keep the pencil-and-Photoshop illustra- ANATOMY FOR BABIES by Jonathan Litton; tions warm and cozy, and additional feelings of familiarity arise illus. by Thomas Elliott...... 123 from the drafting style, which is reminiscent of mid-20th-cen- PEEK-A-WHO? by Elsa Mroziewicz...... 129 tury illustration. Prominent pencil marks are grainy and natural, complementing the woodsy story setting. William has pale skin A PILE OF LEAVES by Tamara Shopsin & Jason Fulford...... 133 and straight, black hair. A classic-feeling, homey celebration of spring’s begin- ROSA LOVES CARS by Jessica Spanyol...... 135 ning. (Picture book. 2-5) CHILLY PENGUIN by Constanze von Kitzing; trans. by Lisa Rosinsky...... 137 GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING Barr, Jennifer Robin ROSA LOVES CARS Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills (272 pp.) Spanyol, Jessica $17.95 | Mar. 26, 2019 Illus. by the author 978-1-68437-178-5 Child’s Play (14 pp.) $4.99 | Oct. 1, 2018 Twelve-year-olds Jimmie and Lola 978-1-78628-125-8 will always be best friends forever. That’s Series: All About Rosa Rule No. 12. Shibe Park’s very short right-field fence is across the street from the flat- roofed houses where they live, allowing them to see all the home games of their beloved Philadelphia Athletics from a unique perspective. Homeowners set up

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 81 there’s lots to look forward to in 2019 Photo courtesy Leah Overstreet It’s always a little odd to write bleachers on the roofs (Rule No. 11), charging a small fee for my annual “what to look forward fans who can’t afford stadium tickets, which provides essen- to” Jan. 1 column, as I do it a good tial income for the families struggling in the Great Depression. month or so before the New Year Now Mr. Shibe wants to build a high spite fence to block their view, which will endanger their economic survival. Influenced but have been paddling about in by his other rules involving responsibility and commitment, next year’s books for months. I feel Jimmie comes up with several harebrained schemes to stop Mr. as though I’m writing in three times Shibe while staying constantly watchful of the Polinski broth- at once. No wonder the books I’m ers, frightening neighborhood bullies (Rule No. 19). Lola abets thinking about are science fiction him in his schemes, but when the dangers seem to outweigh and fantasy: books that often play any benefits, their friendship is nearly destroyed. Barr carefully constructs a well-paced adventure, involving some real events fast and loose with time. in a very specific time and place, while making Jimmie’s worries Disney’s Rick Riordan Presents imprint continues to about negotiating that world completely accessible to modern expand, with a follow-up to last year’s Aru Shah and the End readers. All the characters, assumed white, are well-developed, of Time (Aru Shah and the Song of Death, April 30) and open- even the real Connie Mack and Jimmie Foxx. Quotes from the ers for two new series. , by Yoon Ha Lee 1934 Sporting News that head many chapters further illuminate The Dragon Pearl the actual events. The wall gets built, but friendship endures. (Jan. 15), takes figures from Korean cosmology and weaves Life lessons, baseball, and good friends; it’s all here. them into a gripping space opera about a 13-year-old shape- (author’s note, photographs, resources) (Historical fiction. shifting fox spirit named Min who disguises herself as a 9-12) boy to join the Space Force and discover what happened to her beloved older brother. While it stays nominally THE TALL MAN AND THE earthbound, the funny and heartfelt Sal and Gabi Break the SMALL MOUSE Universe, by Carlos Hernandez (March 4), gives its Cuban- Bergman, Mara American protagonists the ability to explore the multiverse Illus. by Sif, Birgitta from their arts-focused Miami middle school. Candlewick (32 pp.) Three other sequels of note this spring join the cur- $16.99 | Feb. 12, 2019 rent effervescence of non-European fantasy, a burgeoning 978-1-5362-0168-0 that’s made me really aware of When the titular tall man and small the thematic limitations of the mouse finally discover they’ve been sharing traditional canon: Henry Lien’s a house, they quickly become collaborators. Battle of Champions (Jan. 22), Say- The book begins with the pleasant sound of a nursery rhyme: antani DasGupta’s “On a tall hill / in a tall house / lived a tall man / and a small mouse.” The Game of Here and throughout, the text is large, easily seen against pale Stars (Feb. 26), and Daniel José backgrounds. Whimsical, lightly lined drawings with watercolor Older’s Freedom Fire (May 14). washes keep the mood light and comforting. The tall man—who There’s one upcoming ghost is white and also comically thin—does “tall things / that needed story I am very eager to read, doing,” such as picking apples and rescuing cats and kites from and that’s Trace, by Pat Cum- trees. The small mouse, who creeps around the house while the mings (April 2). I’m excited first man sleeps, wears a dress and a hooded cape from which large, white ears protrude. She excels at getting into tiny spaces and because I do love a good dose of moving small items, restoring lost bits and pieces to the man. earthly eeriness to mix in with The minor crisis of the book occurs when, after a long day of the more otherworldly fare and effort, the tall man cannot figure out how to fix the town’s tower second because this is the veteran picture-book creator’s clock. (There is no evidence of anyone else worrying whether first novel in a career that’s spanned 35 years. the clock works, but it’s obviously important to the tall man.) A funny sequence of vignettes as he gets dressed the next morn- But the book I’m most looking forward to? It’s that ing concludes with him almost stepping on the mouse, who had fabulous one I don’t know about yet, the one that reach- been sleeping in his tall, old-fashioned shoe. Gentle rhymes and es out and grabs our reviewer so they levitate with excite- rhythm combine with equally gentle art as the two characters ment and make me want to float too. V.S.— become a working team and then friends. Sweet fun for storytime and bedtime. (Picture book. 3-6) Vicky Smith is the children’s editor.

82 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | With characteristic humor and carefully crafted language, poet Bulion offers readers amazing facts about birds of our world. superlative birds

THE CRAYON MAN for repeated sounds and pleasing internal rhymes. Each is The True Story of the constructed according to a different pattern, described in the Invention of Crayola Crayons backmatter. Meganck’s digital illustrations reflect the humor- Biebow, Natascha ous tone. The round eyes of his bird caricatures often stare Illus. by Salerno, Steven directly at readers. An amusingly anthropomorphic chicka- HMH Books (40 pp.) dee, “the great communicator,” guides readers through the $17.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 text from beginning to end, pointing out in speech bubbles 978-1-328-86684-4 those characteristics birds share with other species and three that are theirs alone: feathers, a furcula (wishbone), and syr- Through persistent experimentation inx (“a two-sided voice organ”). (The two unfamiliar words are Edward Binney gave children a cheap defined in context.) Like any good teacher, this avian instruc- and safe coloring medium. tor summarizes and repeats at the end. From the tiny bee hum- In this chatty, engaging picture book, Biebow provides the mingbird in Cuba through the well-traveled Arctic tern to the historical context around the invention of Crayola crayons. The familiar chickadee whose warnings many species understand, story covers the media predecessors (breakable, often poison- these record-breaking birds come from all over the world, and ous artists’ crayons; clay) that were the basis for the Crayola and their special characteristics vary widely. Excellent resources the trial-and-error process Binney undertook to create a safe, for further bird study complete this delightful offering. colorful product that children from diverse economic back- Entertaining and educational, a superlative package. grounds could afford. Such visual cues as boldface type for the (glossary, acknowledgements) (Informational poetry. 7-12) names of colors throughout the story aid readers in recognizing

the colors that Binney developed and that they might encoun- young adult ter in their own crayon boxes. Biebow moves past the inven- STEVE GOES tion to recognize the impact this product has had on childhood TO CARNIVAL worldwide. Salerno brings readers close to the story through his Button, Joshua & Wells, Robyn illustrations, right onto the lab table where Binney and his team Illus. by Button, Joshua (both impressively mustachioed men and women, all white) Candlewick (56 pp.) developed the crayon. What Jon Klassen achieves emotionally $17.99 | Feb. 12, 2019 in his characters’ eyes, Salerno manages with eyebrows here. He 978-1-5362-0034-8 uses crayon pencils for the bulk of the work; children’s pictures in a couple of later spreads are done, appropriately enough, with A true international animal fantasy. Crayolas. A well-organized bibliography with both primary and Co-written and illustrated by an Aboriginal author from secondary sources, including interviews with Binney’s great- the Walmajarri people of Western Australia in collaboration granddaughter, is supplemented by text boxes throughout the with a white author from Broome, Australia, and set in Rio de book that offer additional informational snippets such as the Janeiro, Brazil, this story follows Steve, a huge brown gorilla, as composition of Crayola’s pigments. he escapes from the zoo for a night of dancing at a jazz club dur- A suitably colorful introduction to the life of a person ing Carnival. As he searches the city for Antonio, his favorite whose name readers may not know but whose invention zookeeper, a yellow hat effectively disguises Steve until his bois- they all use. (factory snapshots, author’s note) (Picture book/ terous dancing with “a beautiful dancer with zigzag hair” makes biography. 6-9) it fly off his head. The hostess cries, “Opa! A Gorilla!” but the dancer continues, unfazed. And Steve actually does find Anto- nio, the zookeeper, who loves music and dance as much as Steve SUPERLATIVE BIRDS does. Portuguese words that appear throughout the text are Bulion, Leslie translated in a closing glossary. While this is not an #ownvoices Illus. by Meganck, Robert story, Button and Wells accurately portray the art, yellow trams, Peachtree (56 pp.) food (coconut sweets, bonbons, black bean soup, etc.), and the $15.95 | Mar. 1, 2019 celebration of Carnival. Less accurate is the focus on jazz music, 978-1-56145-951-3 when samba figures more prominently than jazz during Carni- val. Despite this minor inconsistency, the book’s Raschka-esque A chatty chickadee introduces bird art—lively, childlike, colorful, and full of movement reflective species standouts. of music and dance—will keep readers interested and engaged. With characteristic humor and carefully crafted language, A compelling, child-friendly tale that will increase poet Bulion offers readers amazing facts about birds of our readers’ global awareness while it entertains. (Picture book. world. Poems and accompanying science notes describe 18 5-10) birds that excel in some fashion and explain what nearly all birds have in common; the first poem introduces her focus, and the last notes environmental threats. These engaging poems read aloud beautifully. Thoughtful word choices allow

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 83 In its curved corners and moonlit scenes, the artwork couldn’t be more inviting. the night bear

THE RAMBLING Bear is wide-eyed and cuddly, with a big heart-shaped belly. In Cajoleas, Jimmy its curved corners and moonlit scenes, the artwork couldn’t be Harper/HarperCollins (304 pp.) more inviting, and Night Bear’s choice of meals is obviously $16.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 a much-needed public service, as any child would agree. The 978-0-06-249878-6 front endpapers offer detailed origami instructions to make a takeout box for Night Bear, while the rear endpapers depict a On an odyssey through the swamp to bevy of tasty nightmares. Tom presents white. find his father, a boy discovers the magic Whimsical, light, and soothing, like a pretty good of life, love, and storytelling. dream that Night Bear would surely never eat. (Picture book. After accidentally setting fire to his 4-9) mother’s bakery, 11-year-old Buddy runs away to the swamp to be with the father he hasn’t seen in five years. Pop’s not only his hero, but the best POWER UP Parsnit card player around. But no sooner does Buddy see Pop Fishman, Seth than his father is kidnapped by Boss Authority’s henchmen for Illus. by Greenberg, Isabel reasons revealed later in the novel. In a witty, conversational Greenwillow (40 pp.) style and Southern cadence, Buddy narrates his journey to $17.99 | Mar. 19, 2019 rescue Pop. While initially the setting feels like the American 978-0-06-245579-6 South, Cajoleas’ lush worldbuilding reveals a multiracial community that does not seem to carry the region’s racial history. In Math and science enthusiasts, this this community, Buddy meets an array of folkloric characters one’s for you! of varying races who heighten the swamp’s spookiness. Brown- Fishman and Greenberg, the author and illustrator team of skinned Tally, one of the spider-folk, saves Buddy from eerie A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars (2017), take readers on a journey encounters, and he in turn helps his new friend see the beauty through the amazing human body, noting that a pinkie finger of her gift. Paralleling the journey are Buddy’s descriptions of “has enough energy to light up one of the biggest cities in the Parsnit. In this dueling card game, overseen by a witch, play- world for an entire day.” This informational book explains how ers test their Orating skill to recount the best stories. As Buddy the body produces, expends, and recharges energy through learns Parsnit tricks, he realizes that loving a flawed parent is such activities as eating, sleeping, and exercising. The author’s even trickier and that real life is more wonderful and mysterious note at the end focuses not on what the characters have been than any story. A few characters are described as black or brown; doing throughout the book but on Einstein’s equation E=mc2. the default is white. In child-friendly language, the note explains what an equation Vivid imagery and thought-provoking musings make is, how Einstein used this one to solve tough problems, and how this an ideal read-aloud adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12) all of this relates to the body’s energy. While this book could effectively be used in school lessons about energy, kids likely study Einstein’s equation much later in school than this book’s THE NIGHT BEAR target audience. Greenberg’s multicultural cast of characters de Moraes, Ana models different aspects of the body’s use of energy, the primary Illus. by de Moraes, Thiago character being a black girl with her hair in two puffballs. While Andersen Press USA (32 pp.) most of the characters have strangely angular features, the stark $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 color contrasts and interesting facts will keep readers engaged. 978-1-5415-5509-9 Parents and kids alike will appreciate the book’s exhortation to stay curious. A bear who dines nightly on chil- A fresh, scientific look at one aspect of the incredible dren’s nightmares can’t stomach a par- human body. (Informational picture book. 4-8) ticularly pleasant dream. Every night the Night Bear comes into town on a bus and eats the bad dreams of children who are deep in sleep. The monsters and spiders and scary storms that torment kids’ thoughts are delectable to Night Bear. “Scary pirates being mean taste like strawberries and cream.” But one night, when the Night Bear unwraps a less-nightmarish meal—unicorns and rainbows—he sets off to find someone who might want this dis- gusting stuff. Tom, a boy who’s still up, is happy to exchange his spider and snake for the unicorns, and Night Bear goes back to his bear friends with the story of his first encounter with a fur-less human child. The frightening meals are approachably toothless as written and illustrated by the de Moraes, and Night

84 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | BECOMING EMILY Cake needs: candles, icing, and a ribbon! Fish, upon eyeing the The Life of Emily Dickinson ensemble, approves wholeheartedly. Animals cheer when Cake Goddu, Krystyna Poray finally arrives at the party and invite him to dance and play. But Chicago Review (192 pp.) when the chorus of “Happy Birthday” starts and Cake’s candles $17.99 | Feb. 5, 2019 get blown out, the party starts to take a different turn. Hendra 978-0-89733-003-9 and Linnet’s latest contributes another clever comedy to their oeuvre. The digitally rendered illustrations are bold and colorful, A normalizing portrait of one of with cartoon figures set against patterned backgrounds. Careful Western literature’s most enigmatic readers will not only intuit Cake’s implied fate, but also notice poets. the clues in the images that foreshadow the surprise ending. Having previously examined the life A tasty confection iced with a (darkly) silly sense of of Jazz Age poet Edna St. Vincent Mil- humor. (Picture book. 5-7) lay (A Girl Called Vincent, 2016), Goddu here turns the spotlight on an even larger American literary figure, Emily Dickinson. Known widely for her tight cryptic verses published primarily following her death, Dickinson is often viewed as a sort of “madwoman in the attic,” biographers zeroing in on her particular manner of dress and preference, particularly later in life, for staying home and limiting her social interactions. Much of Goddu’s account seeks to redeem that portrayal, focusing on

exceptional forces throughout Dickinson’s life that contributed young adult to her artistry. She makes much of Dickinson’s Puritan heritage and education; Dickinson was never at a want for money and, thanks to her father’s prominence as a U.S. Congressman, was at the forefront of Amherst intellectual society. The author makes the compelling case that with Dickinson’s unique talents—including learning to play piano at age 2—frail health, and proclivity for intense relationships with kin and friends, she had little reason to leave the house. Through Dickinson’s love for nature, science, and reading, worlds opened. Archival photographs enhance the telling. With select poems, revealing passages from letters, and a richly detailed narrative, this thorough study is sure to entice middle-grade readers to explore one of the 19th century’s greatest poets. (timeline, notes, bibliography) (Biography. 10-14)

CAKE Hendra, Sue & Linnet, Paul Illus. by the authors Aladdin (32 pp.) $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-5344-2550-7

A naïve cake’s first slice of birthday partying puts him in pastry peril. Cake, an anthropomorphic yellow sponge cake with eyes, mouth, and appendages, sits reading in his living room when the unsigned invitation arrives: “You are invited to a party!” Filled with excitement, frosting, and a little uncertainty, the attendee- to-be makes it his mission to dress to impress his hosts. None of the accessories Cake tries on get the green light from his pet goldfish, Fish, so Cake slips away to the local hat shop in search of some more subtle flair. Alas, the merchandise is also missing that certain je ne sais quoi. In a last-ditch effort, the shop assistant (a penguin) disappears into the back to grab “just the thing”

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 85 WHEN PLANTS ATTACK the words to the newly declared national anthem, “The Star- Strange and Terrifying Plants Spangled Banner,” and sing it at the fireworks display, proudly Hirsch, Rebecca E. declaring their new American status. Demonstrative, stylized Millbrook/Lerner (52 pp.) paintings feature an assortment of sturdy, earnest young men $31.99 PLB | Mar. 1, 2019 (all pale-skinned) dressed in blue/green uniforms planting a 978-1-5415-2670-9 plethora of tree saplings. The author’s not-so-subtle metaphor illustrates how Pavel’s work allows him to feel rooted in his new This survey of wild, unusual, and ter- country just as his plantings grow and thrive in today’s national rifying flora munches across eight chapters but may leave some parks and forests. readers asking for seconds. A timely theme to emphasize America’s promise for Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors and Morticia Addams’ each generation of newcomers. (author’s note) (Picture book. pet Cleopatra inspire new generations of curious youngsters 6-8) to seek out information on the plant kingdom’s bizarre and peculiar subjects. Hirsch proceeds admirably with her topic, combining the well-known (Venus fly trap, kudzu) with the WHY SHOULD I WALK? lesser-known (the stinging tree, which can kill; the pisonia tree, I CAN FLY! the seeds of which can strangle birds). Along the way, folklore Ingalls, Ann is interwoven with facts, suggesting ideas of how these plants’ Illus. by Evans, Rebecca legendary abilities may have been promulgated. The chapters Dawn Publications (32 pp.) are presented in a series of easily digested segments, each intro- $16.95 | $8.95 paper | Mar. 1, 2019 ducing a new plant and a new way to terrify readers. Large color 978-1-58469-638-4 photographs are supplemented by a scattering of diagrams 978-1-58469-639-1 paper illustrating more-complex descriptions. Readers who make it through to the backmatter will encounter an author’s note, a A fledgling makes its first foray into weedy garden of source notes, a glossary, and other useful pieces the sky. of information. The source notes are not referenced in the text, With not a little apprehension, a young robin considers the making this useful tool one that might be overlooked. The only possibilities and perils of its inaugural flight. Though it’s every word for which pronunciation is given is “kudzu,” though argu- bird’s destiny to spread their wings and leave the nest eventu- ably some of the earlier terms merit such treatment as well. The ally, it’s a scary proposition. Just when the feathered protago- eye-catching cover (and immediate shelf appeal) makes up for nist decides to give flight a pass, its mom deems the moment these few missteps, but librarians and educators should expect right for a gentle shove, causing it to tumble clumsily from its follow-up questions from voracious readers. safe haven and make awkward attempts to rise. Encountering a Perfectly adequate as a starter course. (Nonfiction. -9 12) toothy cat below leaves the bird no choice but to keep pumping its wings in an escape effort—then, holy fluttering, robin!—up it soars like the expert avia(n)tor it was meant to be. This is a PAVEL AND THE TREE ARMY charming tale, with the bird narrating fears and self-doubts, Hyde, Heidi Smith then exhilaration, in simple, lilting verse that aptly floats along Illus. by Vavouri, Elisa breezily. Young readers/listeners will easily empathize as they Kar-Ben (32 pp.) contemplate daunting firsts of their own and take heart as they $17.99 PLB | Feb. 1, 2019 discover that pluck and practice win out. Equally appealing are 978-1-5124-4446-9 the bright, delightful watercolor illustrations of the very expressive bird. (So saturated are they that the mother’s plumage In Depression-era America, Pavel, looks darker than it does in real life.) Two double-page spreads a Russian-Jewish immigrant, joins the of further information for children and adults extend the story’s Civilian Conservation Corps and learns usefulness with a child-friendly Q-and-A illustrated with pho- to blend his new American identity with his Jewish one. tos and literacy and STEM activities. On the advice of his rabbi, Pavel decides to take a job plant- Flying with this bird should leave young human chicks ing trees all over the country as part of the new program estab- feeling encouraged to spread their own wings. (Picture book. lished by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Arriving in Idaho, 3-6) Pavel’s first impression is that this empty landscape seems quite foreign compared to a bustling, busy New York City, but Pavel is encouraged by the prospect of three meals a day and hard- earned money to help support his family. However, some of the men he meets on his team scrutinize Pavel’s accent and claim he cannot be a real American. Pavel wonders how he can prove that he is just as American as his co-workers. As the Fourth of July approaches, Pavel and his fellow immigrant workers learn

86 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | The plot is rather thin, but the grayscale illustrations with green and yellow highlights are utterly charming. the little rabbit

BEWARE OF THE CROCODILE that feels in need of some tightening and oiling. In this post– Jenkins, Martin World War I England, all the nonmetallic characters seem to be Illus. by Kitamura, Satoshi white given that even the flesh affixed to robots is described Candlewick (32 pp.) as a “white mixture” that develops “a fleshy pallor.” Hard-to- $16.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 follow action sequences and pseudoscientific terminology blunt 978-0-7636-7538-7 the emotional stakes, which are felt more in the side characters than the main quest. A picture book that presents some Young science-fiction aficionados will appreciate this information about crocodiles. story despite its malfunctions. (Science fiction. -8 12) The book begins: “If there’s one thing you should know about crocodiles, it’s that they’re really scary.” And that does crocodiles a huge disservice. While the story does present THE LITTLE RABBIT some crocodile facts—crocodile mothers build nests of leaves Killen, Nicola and lay between 40 and 60 eggs; crocodiles don’t need to eat Illus. by the author that often—the bulk of the story focuses on how crocodiles Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster sneak up on their prey and eat them. Author Jenkins’ tone is (32 pp.) conversational and droll, but the dry humor doesn’t outweigh $15.99 | Feb. 5, 2019 the story’s fearmongering (“waiting for something—or even 978-1-5344-3828-6 somebody—to come down to drink”). It’s hard to know what pur- Series: Little Animal pose this serves, other than developing in readers a fear of the

natural world. Kitamura’s mixed-media illustrations, featuring A cozy home-away-home adventure with Ollie and her young adult large, toothy crocodiles that sprawl, side-to, across double-page bunny. spreads, are largely redundant. Sometimes the crocodile faces A little girl named Ollie who is dressed in a gray rabbit cos- left, sometimes right. The backmatter offers additional infor- tume is eager to play outside in the puddles with her stuffed toy, mation: There are 16 kinds of crocodiles; the crocodiles fea- Bunny, after the rain stops. As soon as they venture out-of-doors, tured in the book are saltwater crocodiles. As this is not relayed golden petals, depicted in glinting foil detail on the jacket and in the story itself, readers may feel some confusion with basic in many illustrations, blow by on the breeze. Although text is facts: Do all kinds build nests out of leaves? Do they all lay 40 to not clear on this point, the petals seem to have magical powers 60 eggs? “More Information” lists all of two websites, one last that transform the toy rabbit into a real animal. Bunny scampers updated in 2012. off after other rabbits, and Ollie follows. Their ensuing adven- A story that sacrifices facts for drama about creatures tures have Ollie rescuing and comforting Bunny as they brave that have lived on Earth since the dinosaurs (a fact readers the elements and seek refuge in a treehouse. The plot, which won’t find in this book). (index)(Informational picture book. 5-8) culminates in a return home and Bunny’s return to toy status, is rather thin, but the grayscale illustrations with green and yellow highlights are utterly charming throughout the book. Die cuts TIN at beginning and closing stages of the book indicate movement Kenny, Pádraig between realistic and fantastical realms, but their presence isn’t Chicken House/Scholastic (288 pp.) integral to the storytelling, and they come across as superfluous, $16.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 even indulgent, given how likely it is that little fingers exploring 978-1-338-27755-5 them might tear the pages. Lovely to look at but little story to follow. (Picture book. Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robot- 2-5) ics get a middle-grade twist. Christopher thinks he’s a 12-year-old boy. He lives with Absalom, an unlicensed engineer who uses his robot inventions to grift vulnerable people out of their money, and an endearing cast of other mechanical creations. When Christopher gets hit by a car selflessly trying to rescue one of his metallic friends, he accidentally discovers that he is also a robot—a highly illegal one, as he’s clearly “ensouled”—and is promptly whisked away by men purporting to be from the government agency overseeing such matters. Worried, Christo- pher’s friends, constructs and flesh, go on a quest to save him. They even enlist the help of the most renowned engineer in history, the man who created Christopher to fill a void in his own family. Points of view bounce around confusingly, with prose

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 87 INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Jonah Winter

ELVIS IS KING! IS A POETIC, THOROUGHLY ENGAGING PICTURE BOOK By James Feder Photo Boutelle courtesy Annie ous cults around the icon, some of which are predicated on a very real sense of Elvis as holy. While his editor steered him away from such an approach, he says that, in the end, Elvis Is King! (Jan. 8) retains some of his original allusions to the religiouslike trajectory of the star’s life, albeit in a tighter, more serious fashion. “His life began in such pain, such sorrow, such limitation,” he explains. “What he turned his life into—that was something close to a miracle.” Odds are, when you think of Elvis, you think of him with his greased-up hair, swiveling hips, and that instantly recognizable voice, but when Elvis was born, such a fate would have seemed nearly impossible. A scrawny, shy, blond boy from a poor family in the Midwest, his is truly a rags-to-riches story. For Winter, the genesis of Elvis Pres- ley resonated on a very personal level. “The idea that you can overcome your shyness, your stage fright, your self-consciousness through, ironically, being as outrageous as possible is something I understand to my core,” he says. In his early 20s, Winter too decided to shake loose his identity as a “nerd” and an “outcast” and rebrand himself as someone more outgoing. There’s a sort of reverence when Winter discusses Elvis’ decision “to just utterly transform himself from a shy blond-haired poor boy [into] something that would, at the very least, turn heads, get people’s attention, be totally different from everything else in his environment.” Beautifully illustrated by Chris Sickels, with whom Jonah Winter is no stranger to larger-than-life charac- Winter has collaborated on two other books, Elvis Is King! ters. The prolific author of more than 30 nonfiction- pic is a standout piece of visual art in and of itself. “The amount ture books, he’s explored the likes of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, of work and detail that went into every illustration is stag- Frida Kahlo, Willie Mays, and, in his New York Times best- gering,” Winter reflects, “and the humanity with which he seller Barack, Barack Obama. That he should set his sights imbued his illustrations of Elvis helped my story be what it on the King, Elvis Presley, is no surprise—what’s surprising ultimately wanted to be—a very human portrait of a very is how he first envisioned the book. human figure.” “I originally conceived of this book as a modern saint’s Indeed, the portrait that Winter delivers doesn’t mask story,” Winter says, citing his fascination with the numer- the blemishes. Behind the shimmer of raw talent and elec-

88 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | tric charisma lies a young man who struggles with fame and money and fast food. Importantly, Winter also notes the tensions inherent in Elvis’ story: charges of cultural appropriation, or making African-American music more “palatable” for white audiences. Winter doesn’t question that that’s exactly what record labels wanted from Elvis, but he does push back when it comes to criticism of El- RONAN BOYLE AND THE vis himself. “Could any of the genres of modern popular BRIDGE OF RIDDLES music have happened without the never-ending borrow- Lennon, Thomas ing and stealing that happens in music?” he asks. “What Illus. by Hendrix, John Amulet/Abrams (304 pp.) would music history be if all the musicians up to now had $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 simply ‘stayed in their lane’?” 978-1-4197-3491-5 Winter offers an honest and fitting tribute to the King, Series: Ronan Boyle, 1 exploring the power of music to heal and to inflame, to A 15-year-old recruit becomes the lift a talented boy out from poverty to the very peaks of newest faerie-fighter in Ireland in the first of a series, Lennon’s debut. success. “I hope that kids who are growing up in poverty After the imprisonment of his parents, curators at the will see that it’s possible to rise out of that through mu- National Museum of Ireland wrongfully accused of stealing sic,” he says of the book. “I hope that those kids who are the Bog Man by shady art dealer Lord Desmond Dooley, young Ronan Boyle is taken in by a sympathetic member of the Gal- not growing up in poverty will see that money is not what way garda as an intern in the evidence department. Being skinny, made Elvis a great musician.” Boyle is summoned to a castle ruin to rescue a changeling baby that a leprechaun has thrown down an oubliette. His success leads to his recruitment by the Garda Special Unit of Tir Na

James Feder is a writer based in Tel Aviv. Nog, the Irish land of faeries. After a required course of study young adult that includes tin whistle, he embarks on a series of adventures that eventually point in the general direction of the Bog Man and his parents’ fate. They don’t arrive there, but they’re heading that way, and it’s the vagueness of Boyle’s quest and the plot as a whole that are the novel’s primary weaknesses. Dry Irish humor and relentless wackiness are its primary strengths; with lines like “Pat Finch is what a heart attack would look like if it could walk around eating fish-and-chips and saying terrible things about Roscommon Football Club’s starting lineup,” the joy is in the journey, not the destination. The cast is default white, with diversity mostly of the nonhuman variety. As flavorful as the strongest Irish stout, though equally an acquired taste. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12)

SEVENTH GRADE VS. THE GALAXY Levy, Joshua S. Carolrhoda (288 pp.) $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-5415-2810-9

When extraterrestrials impound a spaceship full of students and teachers 400 light-years from Earth, it’s up to Jack and his buddies to get them all back home. Life on Public School Ship 118 has been hard for Jack ever since his science-teacher father was fired and kicked off, leaving him alone and outcast. It gets dramatically worse when the ship comes under attack. In the chaos, Jack’s father texts him via communicator ring with directions to save the school—but implementing them strands the entire ship in Elvidian space, where they are swiftly imprisoned. While the Earth kids are forced to attend Elvidian school and wear Elvidian contact lenses, Jack discovers that his father had been fired for tinkering

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 89 with the P.S.S. 118, illicitly equipping it with the means to get DIANA DANCES them home—if only they can figure out how to get all of them Lozano, Luciano back on the ship. Fortunately, the Elvidians seem to be a touch Illus. by the author hypochondriacal and do not recognize Earth diseases....Levy’s Trans. by Canetti, Yanitzia novel, festooned with futuristic tech, is aimed at action-ori- Annick Press (40 pp.) ented readers, but too much telling rather than showing, espe- $18.95 | Mar. 12, 2019 cially initially, may turn them off prematurely. Repetitive details 978-1-77321-248-7 such as frequent references to Jack’s dad’s firing further bog the plot down. Jack presents white on the cover; Ari, who is Jewish, A young girl finds her inner beauty in is depicted with brown skin; and Becka has light skin and long, music and dance. dark hair. Diana is white, short, and chunky, Younger, less-sophisticated sci-fi fans who can get past and she wears glasses. She is not a good student at school, the backstory-filled opening might find this just the ticket. unable to concentrate, especially in math. It is in a psycholo- (Science fiction. 9-13) gist’s office that her life turns around. When the doctor steps out to talk to her mother, he leaves the radio on, and Diana is literally swept off her feet as “her body moved gracefully, follow- BECAUSE OF ing the rhythm of the music.” The next logical and prescribed THE RABBIT step is ballet school, and now Diana smiles, does well in math, Lord, Cynthia and imagines herself performing on stage—“maybe.” Lozano’s Scholastic (192 pp.) little tale, originally published in Spain, is a lesson for chil- $17.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 dren in both self-worth and not allowing body types to restrict 978-0-545-91424-6 development. And while, realistically, a child looking like Diana would most likely have a difficult time succeeding in ballet, the A young girl learns about honesty, author graciously allows for participation at a student’s level integrity, and friendship when she finds and the opportunity to dream. His loose, fine-lined figures with a lost rabbit and starts school for the first cartoon-style faces are set against a white background. They time. depict one schoolmate in a wheelchair and several diverse chil- Home-schooled by her mother, young dren. The ballerinas she dreams of dancing with are tall and Emma is very close to her parents and brother. She has beauti- lithe; one is a person of color. ful memories of visiting her grandparents (now deceased) across Dreams may or may not come true, but the opportunity the border in Quebec, where she learned about French-Cana- to have them is wonderful. (Picture book. 4-6) dian farming culture. Mémère taught her to bake, while Pépère told her stories about Monsieur Lapin, the rabbit, and all his woodland friends. But now Emma’s life is changing. Her older THE WOLF IN UNDERPANTS brother, Owen, was her constant companion until he started Lupano, Wilfrid high school and built a social life all his own. Lonely and hoping Illus. by Itoïz, Mayana with Cauuet, Paul to make a friend, Emma decides to quit home schooling and Trans. by Sacks, Nathan enter the fifth grade at Lakeview Elementary. The night before Graphic Universe (40 pp.) she embarks on her first class, she accompanies her game-war- $26.65 PLB | Mar. 5, 2019 den father on a call, and they find a pet bunny stuck in a fence. 978-1-5415-2818-5 Mischievous Lapi—named for Pépère’s stories—will offer both challenges and lessons to Emma as she navigates her new school Is a frosty fanny the cause of the for- and the politics of making friends with an unpopular boy. The est creatures’ fear? beauty in Lord’s tale of finding home in a new community is the The woodland denizens fear the wolf and its “crazy eyes” way Emma’s grandfather reaches her with his stories of magic and “fangs like ice picks.” Their marketplace bristles with stalls even after he is gone, teaching her important lessons about fol- hawking anti-wolf alarms, wolf-defense karate, and wolf traps, lowing through on one’s promises. Emma and her family are and lectures about the wolf are always well-attended. However, white, their Franco-American heritage a rarity in children’s when the critters, led by the heavily armed “anti-wolf brigade,” literature. actually meet the wolf, they are surprised by his mild manner Delightful. (Fiction. 8-12) and prominent red-and-white–striped undies. Soon they learn that a chilly keister had made the wolf uncomfortable, causing its eerie howls and terrifying demeanor. The animals now face an existential crisis; who will buy wolf traps and attend lectures now? The wolf sensibly tells them, “maybe you need more in your lives than just fear.” With numerous mentions of butts and underpants, expect the requisite giggles. Those assuming this is another tale of self-acceptance will be pleasantly surprised

90 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Magras deftly balances introspection and action as Drest proves herself willing to risk everything. the hunt for the mad wolf’s daughter

by the turn to the dangers of fear and prejudice. (Those hop- A SCARF FOR KEIKO ing for some address of the language demeaning mental illness Malaspina, Ann will be disappointed.) Older readers with a keen eye should be Illus. by Liddiard, Merrilee able to spot a darkly comic twist at its conclusion. Large, earth- Kar-Ben (32 pp.) toned illustrations range in size from lush two-page spreads $17.99 PLB | Feb. 1, 2019 to smaller, compact, borderless panels, creating an engaging 978-1-5415-2164-3 hybrid between a picture book and graphic novel that would work well read independently or aloud. An act of kindness during World War II Young readers will howl for this tale that combines a still resonates today as a boy reaches out to timely, smart message alongside crowd-pleasing silliness. a girl whom the government does not con- (Graphic/picture-book hybrid. 5-9) sider a suitable or loyal American citizen. The United States has entered World War II, and Sam’s class in Los Angeles is knitting socks for soldiers. Unfortu- THE HUNT FOR THE MAD nately, Sam cannot get his knitting needles to work properly WOLF’S DAUGHTER as he tries to knit for his older brother, who is fighting over- Magras, Diane seas. Frustrated, he rejects an offer of help from his neighbor Kathy Dawson/Penguin (288 pp.) and classmate, Keiko, a girl of Japanese descent. Keiko is $16.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 taunted and her father’s flower store is vandalized, and then 978-0-7352-2929-7 the family is sent to an internment camp. Sam and his parents are sympathetic—as Jews they understand persecution—and

In the gripping last act of The Mad his mother offers to keep safe Keiko’s mother’s treasured tea young adult Wolf’s Daughter (2018), crafty Drest escaped service. When Keiko leaves her bike with Sam, she includes with her life from Faintree Castle—but knitted socks for Sam’s brother. It is then—finally—that Sam doing so has made her the prime target in a comes up with a most neighborly gesture: He will knit a scarf traitorous plot. for Keiko because desert nights can be cold. Carefully, stitch In addition to freeing her da—the Mad Wolf—and her by stitch, he finishes his project. The illustrations, in browns, brothers from Faintree Castle, she also saved Emerick, Lord greys, and reds, focus on the faces of the characters and Faintree, from his scheming uncle. They are recovering with express their frustrations, fears, and concerns. The author’s friend Tig’s family in Phearsham Ridge when a disguised cas- note briefly explains both President Roosevelt’s 1942 Execu- tle knight infiltrates the town, spreading lies. He is searching tive Order and the 1988 Civil Liberties Act. for Emerick. And because Drest has become his protector, a A gentle and accessible story of tolerance during a war price is on her head. The Mad Wolf is determined to protect overflowing with racial and ethnic intolerance. (author’s Drest, but his methods no longer suit her. She, Emerick, and note, photographs) (Picture book. 5-8) Tig refuse to go on the run, planning instead to take the battle to Faintree Castle. But who’s loyal? Who’s duplicitous? In feudal 13th-century Scotland, powerful alliances are necessary for MARIGOLD FINDS THE success, as the thoroughly researched story makes clear, and MAGIC WORDS forging them allows Drest to continue to develop her new- Malbrough, Mike found diplomatic skills, solidifying her reputation as an inge- Illus. by the author nious, righteous leader. Her position is not an easy one, as the Philomel (40 pp.) political winds continue to shift, betrayals abound, and battles $17.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 rage. Magras deftly balances introspection and action as Drest 978-1-5247-3743-6 proves herself willing to risk everything—and the result will leave readers cheering. A feline magician learns there’s magic in manners. Fair-minded men and strong women in unusual roles Marigold, a chubby, round-eyed, orange-and-white cat, goes make this a standout among quest tales for middle graders. all out for his birthday parties. This year, he’s performing a daz- (glossary, author’s note) (Historical fiction. -8 12) zling magic act. One trick goes awry, though: A bouquet that should vanish becomes a finch! Perfectionist Marigold believes he forgot the magical incantation. Trying again, he’s annoyed when the finch remains; still, the guests cheer. Marigold utters a different spell and two pigeons appear; the audience roars. Next try: three sea gulls. Marigold’s livid, yet everyone howls. This sleight-of-paw thing’s not working, and when his final attempt yields another failure, disconsolate Marigold shrieks for his audience to disappear. Finally, success! Realizing he needs to do something to coax partygoers back, Marigold says the best magic words there are. This works, too: Everyone returns—with

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 91 Another cleareyed and engaging book by a master of the genre. the woolly monkey mysteries

some surprise visitors. The lively, energetic watercolors stand BABY DRAGON, BABY out and drive the story well. Marigold is highly expressive, his DRAGON! face and large eyes registering self-satisfaction, bluster, anger, Marr, Melissa and bewilderment to appealing comical effect; endpapers dis- Illus. by Podesta, Lena play accoutrements of the magician’s trade. Many words are Nancy Paulsen Books (32 pp.) capitalized in larger fonts throughout to heighten humorous $17.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 dramatic tension. 978-0-399-17525-1 Not truly magical but fun and appealing. (Picture book. 4-7) A bright red baby dragon flies around a village of the Euro- pean past with a young child chasing after. Readers first spot the child, cued as a girl with longpig- THE WOOLLY MONKEY tails, pitching hay into a wagon, but all of a sudden, she is in MYSTERIES a castle with a sword at her side. She wears a sleeveless green The Quest to Save a tunic and gray leggings, and it is hard to tell who she is within Rain Forest Species the hierarchy of her world. She speaks to the dragon: “Baby Markle, Sandra dragon, baby dragon, what a fast flight!” Marr uses this admir- Millbrook/Lerner (40 pp.) ing, repetitive, rhythmic phrasing throughout the story but lets $31.99 paper | Mar. 1, 2019 readers down by following up not with a rhyme but with bland 978-1-5124-5868-8 prose text: “Baby dragon, baby dragon, what a big climb! / You scale tall walls and go up so high.” The girl clearly enjoys keep- Markle introduces the woolly monkey, one of the largest ing up with the fun-loving dragon, flying on its back, looking monkeys in the rainforests of South America. at its treasures, and even cuddling up in its nest, but the text Using accessible language complemented by engaging is persistently pedestrian. There is a strong sense of movement photographs, the author describes the habitat, characteristics, in the cartoonlike illustrations, created with both traditional importance, and scientific research related to this critically and digital media. The child protagonist is light-skinned; some endangered primate. As they are considered a keystone species, diversity among the kingdom’s inhabitants is shown in an amus- the importance of learning more about them is critical to the ing feasting scene in which the dragon fastidiously eats with the survival of the rainforest. A clear, double-page diagram allow- very tip of its tail, a bib around its neck. ing readers to visualize the different layers of the rainforest sets It’s good to see an active girl in medieval times, but this the stage for understanding the woolly monkey’s habitat. There dragon story never really soars. (Picture book. 5-7) are two species: the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, which lives only in the cloud forests of Peru, and the lowland woolly monkey, which can be found in the rainforest areas of Bolivia, Bra- SPEND IT! zil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Markle details the research McLeod, Cinders undertaken by several scientists, in particular the use of camera Illus. by the author traps set up in the forest canopy by the Tree Top Manú Project. Nancy Paulsen Books (32 pp.) Readers will thrill at the idea of scientists climbing up trees as $16.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 high as a 14-story building. By scanning the QR codes scattered 978-0-399-54446-0 among the pages children can see and hear the monkeys as well Series: Moneybunny as follow a scientist as she observes the monkeys. The book ends with a suggested activity for children to start them off as In Bunnyland, money matters get an potential future scientists. early start. Another cleareyed and engaging book by a master of McLeod’s Moneybunny series aims to teach young readers the genre. (author’s note, glossary, further reading) (Non “a few simple facts about money.” In this volume, the focus is fiction. -8 12) on making choices about what to buy. Sonny, the young bunny protagonist, wants to buy everything, but he only gets 3 carrots a week as an allowance. (In keeping with the conventions of currency, McLeod uses numerals instead of spelling numbers out.) Sonny’s mom, who dispenses wisdom while raking up a Tech- nicolor pile of leaves, tells Sonny he is going to have to make choices because different things cost different amounts of carrots. That toy rocket costs 2 carrots, and the pogo stick costs 3 carrots, while the bouncy castle costs 100 (represented in a double-page spread of 100 carrots, arrayed in five rows of 20). (“That’s RIDICULOUS!” cries Sonny.) His mom suggests he give it some thought, to which Sonny blurts the universal credo: “I don’t want to THINK! I want to SPEND!” Good thing Sonny

92 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | hasn’t got a carrot credit card. So Sonny gets to thinking how to KARL’S NEW BEAK spend his carrots, and a supercritical lesson is learned: consider 3-D Printing Builds a Bird a how and what you spend your money on. (Saving was tackled in Better Life Earn It, 2017.) The lesson goes down smoothly because it pres- Nargi, Lela ents options for ways to satisfy the urge to spend—it also helps Illus. by Popham, Harriet that Sonny is cute as a you-know-what. Capstone Editions (32 pp.) Financial planning never looked so good. (Picture book. $17.95 | Mar. 1, 2019 4-8) 978-1-68446-026-7 Using a 3-D printer, zoo employees PRESIDENT OF POPLAR LANE construct a prosthesis for an injured bird. Mincks, Margaret At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., Viking (288 pp.) staff members are concerned with the feeding difficulties of $16.99 | Feb. 12, 2019 Karl, an Abyssinian ground hornbill living in the cheetah exhibit. 978-0-425-29093-4 Hoping to restore his ability to eat normally so they can breed Series: Poplar Kids, 2 him, they come up with a solution for his broken bottom beak. They mend it using a pattern from a museum skeleton and 3-D Poplar Lane’s seventh-graders are back printing technology. A number of recent titles for young readers for a second outing following Payback on describe the work of humans to make lives better for injured Poplar Lane (2018), exploring magic, manip- or abandoned animals. Unusually, here the special focus is on

ulation, and politics. the process: the complicated and painstaking repair of Karl’s young adult Clover, a popular girl, and Mike, a lower beak, including the construction of its replacement part. budding magician, are both nominated to run for class presi- Thoughtful design makes this very clear: Illustrations clev- dent. New kid Amelia, a self-described “wonk,” and Peter, a erly combine actual photographs with drawings and diagrams, fervent entrepreneur, are running Mike’s campaign, while printed in blue and white like blueprints. Readers see Karl in Clover’s best friend, Rachel, is managing hers. Unfortunately, his enclosure, before-and-after close-ups, and the veterinarian, Mike’s managers craft an image of the candidate that’s mostly exhibits specialist, and exhibit curator (all white-presenting) deceitful, turning him from a boy who’s happy to sit quietly who work together to restore the beak. There are also photos with headphones on, comfortably blocking out the world, to a of the printing process as well as sanding and gluing the new glad-handing, baby-kissing fraud. He’s only running so he can bill. The straightforward text introduces the bird, explains how use the election to help him get into magic camp. Clover is hornbills use their beaks in the wild, and follows the process using her campaign to try to restore her connection to Rachel, step by step. Backmatter includes more facts about hornbills in who’s become friends with Amelia, leaving her feeling excluded. the wild and about Karl in particular as well as a glossary with The story is presented in the nicely distinct alternating voices unusually helpful definitions. of Clover, who’s the second of five sisters and also coming to For fans of animal-rescue accounts and 21st-century grips with her mother’s newest pregnancy, and Mike, who’s sure technology. (Informational picture book. 5-9) his father is disappointed in him for not being athletic. Mike is black, standing out among the mostly white central cast. In a refreshing variation on most middle school fiction, all of the THE REVENGE OF MAGIC kids have good points and bad, creating a full roster of believ- Riley, James ably rounded characters navigating sometimes–silly situations, Aladdin (320 pp.) rich with droll, timely humor. $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 The votes are in: This one is a winner. (Fiction. 9-12) 978-1-4814-8577-7 Series: Revenge of Magic, 1

After 12-year-old Fort’s father is abducted during an alien attack on Wash- ington, D.C., he jumps at the chance to attend a school of magic that is preparing to go to war with the invaders. Fort is anxious to start his new school, but he finds Oppen- heimer School to be nothing like Hogwarts. Instead of a castle with turrets and magical creatures roaming the forest, Fort’s new school is on a military base complete with armed soldiers and high-tech security. Although the school teaches both Heal- ing magic and Destruction magic, Fort is determined to master the latter in order to avenge his father. When he arrives, Fort

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 93 is given an ultimatum: learn three spells in three days or be THE TRUE HISTORY sent home. While he quickly makes enemies with the aggres- OF LYNDIE B. HAWKINS sive Destruction students, he also makes important friends. Shepherd, Gail Jia Liang is a master of Healing magic. Rachel, a wielder of Kathy Dawson/Penguin (304 pp.) Destruction magic, helps Fort fight his battles. And Cyrus, $16.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 newly transferred from London, uses his clairvoyance to keep 978-0-525-42845-9 everyone out of trouble. While this new take on a magical academy is imaginative, the narrative wanders, spending too much “There is such a thing as honorable time on bickering, dead ends, and flashbacks. Fort’s indecision lying,” declares 11-year-old Lyndie B. is his greatest stumbling block, making him a lackluster leader. Hawkins, who has a keen eye for history, An open ending suggests more to come. The book adheres to research, and the truth. the white default; Jia is a Chinese immigrant, and Rachel is It’s 1985. Lyndie and her parents have African-American. moved into her grandparents’ home in Love’s Forge, Tennes- A potent mixture of magic and monsters that never see. Her dad is a Vietnam War veteran who drinks in his car and materializes. (Fantasy. 8-12) disappears for days. Her classmates taunt her about her “Hip- pie Commie Alabama Trash” mother, who stays locked in her room with headaches. What really sticks in her craw, though, is PEEKITY BOO—WHAT YOU her grandma Lady, who is determined to mold her into a well- CAN DO! mannered Southern girl, demanding silence about their fam- Roemer, Heidi Bee ily secrets. But a newfound friendship with a boy named D.B. Illus. by Wohnoutka, Mike from the frightful Pure Visions juvenile detention center sparks Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt (40 pp.) in her the courage to find and speak the truth. The hills and $17.99 | Mar. 19, 2019 valleys of the Smoky Mountains mirror this prideful Southern 978-1-250-12232-2 family, full of pain and loyalty and the importance of appear- ances. Teasing out the details of D.B.’s troubled life allows Lyn- This rhyming picture book follows a family through their die to re-evaluate the varnished truth of both her own family toddler’s bedtime routine. and that of where she lives. Were her white ancestors really the As caregivers know, the bedtime routine is the cornerstone first to settle Love’s Forge? More immediately, what happened of a toddler’s day’s end. It is time for bath and books and snug- to Daddy in Vietnam? Why does Lady keep secrets? Daddy says, gles and, of course, a little fun with mom and dad. Silly nonsense “You’d best take care, what you lend your heart to.” Readers will phrases such as “Blibbity blub” and “Buggity boo!” will make lose their hearts to this sassy and aching heroine. Full of South- small kids laugh and have them repeating the words. They also ern toughness and mountain charm, her fierce and funny voice ensure that the rhyme proceeds in sprightly fashion; though not fills the pages with fine storytelling. all the couplets include them, they ward against forced rhymes, This hope-filled book is a beautiful picture of broken as does the author’s decision to employ assonance on occa- humanity, a storytelling wonder. (Historical fiction. -8 12) sion: “There are ears to nuzzle. / Towel to snuggle.” Wohnout- ka’s brightly colored illustrations, done in acrylic gouache and showing both mom and dad participating in different bedtime THE NORTH STAR tasks, are sweet and recognizable for kids and will help them Shepherd, Kat embrace their own bedtime activities. While none of this rein- Yellow Jacket (256 pp.) vents the wheel, that’s not really the point; the familiarity will $16.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 strike chords in readers, who will thoroughly enjoy knowing 978-1-4998-0809-4 the protagonist is going through the same loving routine that Series: The Gemini Mysteries, 1 they are. The dad presents white and the mom has brown skin and wavy black hair, making this a mirror for a lot of interracial Four kids solve a theft of jewelry in families. this series opener. A calm, quiet book that children will find delightful, When 12-year-old Sophia Boyd decides enjoying the repetition and seeing themselves through the to auction off the North Star necklace, a eyes of a book. (Picture book. 2-5) family heirloom, to support a fundraiser for a sanctuary for endangered gibbons, the necklace is stolen at a party held to preview it. Twins Zach and Evie Mamuya, the biracial children of a deceased Tanzanian-immigrant cop dad and white crime-reporter mom, along with their South Asian friend Vishal Desai, wind up at the crime scene with the twins’ mother, ready to investigate. After finding a magnet used to open safes, the young self-appointed detectives, along with Sophia, decide to take matters into their own hands and question the guests who

94 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | This immigrant narrative beautifully captures the emotions of loss, love, and belonging that the little girl experiences, embedding readers in Asha’s developmentally spot-on perspective. the yellow suitcase

attended the party. Following much trial and error (punctuated NOT YOUR NEST! by the occasional lesson in American racism patiently delivered Sterer, Gideon by the three kids of color to wide-eyed, white Sophia), their Illus. by Tsurumi, Andrea path of investigation leads them to the unlikely conclusion that Dial (40 pp.) the stolen necklace changed more than one pair of hands after $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 it was taken. As a whodunit, the story underwhelms; readers 978-0-7352-2827-6 are unlikely to be able to follow the clues and red herrings to the solution and so will be stumbling along with the characters. A tiny yellow bird has just finished Character development takes second place to plotting, further- building a nest, but other animals in the ing dissatisfaction. savanna think it looks like a good place A dry plot with little investment in character develop- to rest, too. ment makes for a weak detective story. (Mystery. 8-12) The design has been planned. The twigs gathered. One last leaf and the nest will be complete. But as the yellow bird flies happily toward the tree, a larger bird is already there. “You can THE YELLOW SUITCASE build another,” says the bully of a bird. “I guess I could...” says Sriram, Meera the tiny, crestfallen bird. So plans are made again. Twigs are Illus. by Sethi, Meera gathered. One last leaf—and suddenly there’s a fennec in the Penny Candy (40 pp.) nest! Each attempt to build a cozy home brings a more absurd $16.95 | Mar. 12, 2019 animal to the tree. A warthog, a gorilla, an elephant, and more 978-0-9996584-1-3 balance precariously as they settle in, each with their own

sound reason as to why the dwelling suits them. Frustrated young adult A young girl goes back to India to and exhausted, the yellow bird finally finds some powerful visit her grandmother’s house after her help to knock everyone out of the tree. But maybe there is a death. way to share after all. Tsurumi’s expressive animals (sometimes Debut author Sriram shares a poignant story based on her uppity, sometimes sheepish—all forming a dejected, collective daughter’s personal experience. Young Asha travels with her slump when they realize how they’ve treated their friend) defi- family from the United States to her grandma’s house in India, nitely rule the roost. Laid out in mostly double-page spreads towing her favorite yellow suitcase. Everything looks familiar in and with wry text set entirely in speech balloons, the visual India, except her grandma is not there. But the house is full of storytelling easily engages readers, perhaps most impressively other people, both relatives and people she doesn’t recognize, as the little bird scowls with determination, perched on a and they’re all talking about Grandma. Asha reminisces how wildebeest’s horns as it charges directly at readers. she always carried gifts for her grandma in her yellow suitcase Giggle-inducing buffoonery; but thankfully, bigger and how her grandma always showered her with gifts to carry rivals don’t get the last laugh. (Picture book. 3-7) back to America. When she asks her father if she’ll ever see her grandma again, he cries. Asha doesn’t quite know how to deal with her grandmother’s death and responds with aloof moodi- THE DOG WHO WANTED ness. Two weeks go by, and just as she is about to leave India, she TO FLY realizes her grandmother left behind a special surprise for her. Stinson, Kathy This immigrant narrative beautifully captures the emotions of Illus. by Scott, Brandon James loss, love, and belonging that the little girl experiences, embed- Annick Press (36 pp.) ding readers in Asha’s developmentally spot-on perspective. $17.95 | Mar. 12, 2019 The illustrations, done in a pastel palette and flat perspective, 978-1-77321-280-7 reveal authentic snapshots of India, though the characters feel stiff at times, which may limit their appeal. In this Canadian picture book, Zora, a small brown dog, is A thoughtful story that artfully addresses the loss of a determined to fly. grandparent from an immigrant perspective. (Picture book. When Zora stares at the squirrel that yaks at her from 5-8) the fence and chases it, she isn’t fast enough to catch it. Again. But she knows that if only she could fly, she would suc - ceed. Even as Tully, a cat lounging on a tree branch, informs Zora quellingly that “dogs can’t fly,” Zora, nonetheless, tries. She leaps—and falls; jumps on a teeter-totter vacated by two children—and falls. She splays on the ground, imitating the shadow of an airplane flying overhead, whispering, “Up! Up! Up!!” but she still doesn’t fly. Disheartened, Zora heads off to nap when she is interrupted by a cry for help and sees Tully, hanging perilously from the branch (illustratively shown in an impressive angled overhead view that visually emphasizes

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 95 With a bird on each spread and a key in the back, it serves as a Where’s Waldo–type introduction to birding guides, one readers can return to again and again. ruby’s birds

the height and the danger). “Zora’s everything tingled!” She WHEN I PRAY FOR YOU leaps high for Tully, catching her. Stinson’s story has endear- Turner, Matthew Paul ing, unexpected details and is a heartwarming affirmation of Illus. by Barnes, Kimberly the powers of aspiration and determination. Scott’s images WaterBrook (48 pp.) show a sophisticated color sense that creates depth and $11.99 | Feb. 19, 2019 atmosphere with their push/pull of warms and cools, and 978-0-52565058-4 his portrayal of Zora gives her a remarkable degree of movement and expression. His varied viewer perspectives, too, are Turner adds another title to his pic- noteworthy. ture-book series that highlights the miracles in the mundane A clever and endearing story, expertly illustrated, with (When God Made Light, 2018, etc.). an affirming message.(Picture book. 3-8) In the vein of children’s-bookshelf stalwart Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Turner’s rhyming text includes both prayers and life advice for a growing child, beginning with infancy and moving RUBY’S BIRDS on to adolescence. At times the rhyme and meter are strained, Thompson, Mya muddling meaning and making the tempo feel occasionally Illus. by Dávila, Claudia awkward when read aloud. Overall, though, the book executes Cornell Lab Publishing Group (40 pp.) its mission, presenting Christian theological truths within the $16.95 | Mar. 27, 2019 rhythmic inspirational text. For this third series installment 978-1-943645-33-6 Turner’s text is paired with a new illustrator, whose bright illustrations of wide-eyed children have great shelf appeal. While A young girl learns how to bird-watch from her neighbor, David Catrow’s previous illustrations in the series featured then teaches her family. effervescent black protagonists, the child in Barnes’ illustra- Ruby, a black girl with afro puffs and a missing front tooth, tions appears white, though she occupies an otherwise diverse likes to spice things up when it’s “too quiet” at home. When world. While illustrated as a prayer from a mother for her her neighbor, Eva, hears Ruby making noise, she invites Ruby daughter, the text itself is gender neutral. to the park—Central Park. When they get to the woods there, Though it will never usurp Dr. Seuss, it will still find a Eva is quiet, looking up, using binoculars, frozen—but smiling. home where Christian families of faith seek inspirational Ruby starts singing again, and a frustrated Eva sits her down picture books. (Picture book/religion. 3-6) to tell her about the golden-winged warbler she was looking at, a bird she’d only seen back home in Costa Rica. They try to find him again, staying quiet and paying attention. On Sun- A COLORFUL TAIL day, Ruby begs her family to go to Central Park during their Finding Monet at Giverny regular family time. She leads them into the woods and shows Waites, Joan them how to watch, quiet and still. Her efforts are rewarded Illus. by the author when she sees a warbler. Dávila’s illustrations, done with the Schiffer (40 pp.) abundant green and brown of nature and splashes of colorful $16.99 | Mar. 28, 2019 clothing against ample white space, depict caring relation- 978-0-7643-5705-3 ships and communities. With a bird on each spread and a key in the back, it serves as a Where’s Waldo–type introduction A fox wants to preserve seasonal colors throughout the year. to birding guides, one readers can return to again and again. A Each year, as spring progresses to summer and then autumn, bird poster and an endnote addressed to children round out a red fox appreciatively watches a garden shift from pale hues the package. to “flaming orange, vibrant red, and golden yellows.” But in A good story, perfect for bird lovers and likely to entice winter, when snow buries everything, he longs for the other the uninitiated. (Picture book. 4-8) three seasons. Can he preserve nature’s colors past their cycle? He gathers petals, but a deer eats them; he collects pebbles (a confusing representation of summer—wouldn’t their color be stable year-round?), but the pond rises over them; he arranges autumn leaves, but gusts of wind blow them away. Only an accidental encounter with a human reveals a way to keep nature’s colors past their time: with paint, on a canvas. The painter is Claude Monet—identified in the story only through his name and the garden’s arching green bridge. Waites’ illustrations offer no bridge to Monet or impressionism, though a brief author’s note provides some introduction. Trees, petals, lawns, and the fox are smoothly filled-in shapes with neat edges. Grass blades are clear and straight. There’s no abstraction, no content made from dots or daubs. The tiny canvases

96 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | depicted do feature dots, but they do not convey impression- BECAUSE ism. Many illustrations curl tidily inside a clean circle, itself Willems, Mo sometimes perched inside a clean square, divorcing the feel Illus. by Ren, Amber even more from impressionism. Illustrations regarding a fine Hyperion (40 pp.) artist needn’t mimic their work, but this bland, simplistic style $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 highlighting smoothly curved edges forms no visual pointer to 978-1-368-01901-9 Monet or impressionism. Skip. (Picture book. 3-6) Willems departs from his usual comic fare in this ode to the many people that inspire and contribute to the creation of art in young people. MAGIC RAMEN Each spread in the first half of the book states a causal effect: The Story of Momofuku Ando “Because a man named Ludwig wrote beautiful music— / a man Wang, Andrea named Franz was inspired to create his own. // Because many Illus. by Urbanowicz, Kana years later, people wanted to hear Franz’s beautiful music— / Little Bee (40 pp.) they formed an orchestra.” Musicians who have practiced dili- $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 gently are invited to participate, workers make sure the concert 978-1-499-80703-5 hall is ready, and ushers open the doors. This chain continues as each person contributes to the culmination of a present-day The true story of Momofuku Ando, who persevered to grand orchestral performance at which a little tawny-brown– invent a speedy, nutritious, and tasty ramen to help feed the skinned girl is present, “because” her uncle has caught a cold

hungry in post–World War II Japan. and given her his ticket. This little girl is changed by this experi- young adult A year after the war ended, people were still starving for ence, and in the second half of the book, she grows up to create food. Realizing that the “world is peaceful only when every- her own music that then inspires another child, who listens out- one has enough to eat,” Ando decided to make food his life’s side. Debut illustrator Ren’s delicate cartoon art depicts both a work. In a backyard shed, Ando attempted to realize his realistic multicultural community and magical representations dream of a more nutritious ramen. He experimented by add- of music and inspiration. Both the protagonist and the child ing different ingredients to a basic recipe of flour, salt, and who hears her are depicted borne aloft by tendrils of colored water: eggs, powdered milk, and even spinach! He invented music. a way to infuse the noodles with flavor, but the noodles While many books celebrate the arts and creativity, were still too tough. Then, watching his wife make tempura this one stands out for recognizing the importance of com- gave him a brilliant idea—fry the noodles! Frying creates munity support; from the orchestra librarian to the music tiny holes in the noodles, causing them to soften after just lovers who purchase tickets, everyone contributes to the a few minutes in hot water. Voilà: tender, chewy noodles in culture of creativity. (Picture book. 4-8) hot, tasty soup that was ready in two minutes! With an aes - thetic that’s straight out of a Hayao Miyazaki animated film, Urbanowicz’s illustrations pair deliciously with Wang’s con- STARDUST cise, conversational text. Clever use of lighting, white space, Willis, Jeanne and comic-book compositions moderate pacing in all the Illus. by Smith, Briony May right places. The illustrator earns brownie points for accu- Nosy Crow/Candlewick (32 pp.) rate cultural details: geta (wooden sandals), cascading cherry $16.99 | Feb. 12, 2019 blossoms, kanji characters, etc. 978-1-5362-0265-6 Eaters of all ages will enjoy learning about the history of this popular food gone global. (biographical note) (Infor A little girl caught in her big sister’s mational picture book. 4-10) shadow comes to see her inner light. The text’s unnamed, first-person narrator struggles as the younger sibling to a talented elder sister, whom other family members refer to as a “star.” She wants to be a star, too, but she always seems to come up short. Her big sister wins a costume contest, finds her mother’s lost wedding ring, and knits a scarf without holes. Finally, her grandfather notices the protagonist’s dejection, and he helps her see herself as a star, too. This help arrives, in part, through a science lesson reaching back to the Big Bang that tells her how she, like all living things across time, is literally made of stardust. Illustrations in these scenes fantastically depict the girl accompanied by her grandfather in outer space, under the sea, and so on. This loving interaction allows her to adopt her inner stardust as metaphor

| kirkus.com | children’s | 1 january 2019 | 97 for how special she is, a heartfelt connection that the protago- BANANA PANTS! nist accepts but that may underwhelm readers. The book’s Wunsch, Emma end, however, reveals that the confidence this understanding Illus. by von Innerebner, Jessika inspires propels her to become an astronaut. Throughout, all Amulet/Abrams (144 pp.) main characters in the full-bleed illustrations appear white with $12.99 | Feb. 5, 2019 pale skin, though background characters in a few scenes are 978-1-4197-3180-8 depicted as multiracial and multiethnic. Series: Miranda and Maude, 2 Warm and light. (Picture book. 4-7) Miranda and Maude’s friendship is put to the test as their different interests THE DAY THE UNIVERSE cause some big disagreements. EXPLODED MY HEAD Princess Miranda and not-a-princess Poems to Take You into Maude became unexpected best friends in series opener The Space and Back Again Princess and the Absolutely Not a Princess (2018), and both are lov- Wolf, Allan ing school and life. Unfortunately, school suddenly becomes Illus. by Raff, Anna much duller as their class is forced to take long exams. Fed up Candlewick (56 pp.) with nonstop testing, their teacher takes a stand and announces $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 they will embark on a creative endeavor: a school play, which 978-0-7636-8025-1 they call Banana Pants. As the kids bend their passions toward the play, Miranda and Maude become inspired to make positive Poems about stars, planets, moons, and other astronomical changes of their own. Maude writes letters to protest the use of wonders, accompanied by stylish anthropomorphic illustrations. Styrofoam in the cafeteria, while Miranda works on the cause Opening with a “Solar Sunnet” (“Next time you want to of love. When the girls can’t agree on whose is more important, wish upon a star, / you need not even wait for night to fall”) conflict ensues. Once again, Wunsch writes a story with accessi- and a spectacularly silly “Moon Buffet” (“Ophelia’s made of ble themes and silliness that kids will enjoy. Balancing such seri- tacos / and Europa’s made of Spam”), this versified tour of the ous topics as forgery and lying with the more lighthearted ones solar system and beyond offers both astronomical and met- of stage fright and cooperation, she creates a strong storyline rical delights. Of the latter, Wolf’s frequent use of multiple exploring conflict resolution. Von Innerebner again contributes voices (cued by lines in different colors) plays to fine effect amusing illustrations that add to the text, depicting Miranda in zippy exclamations by three shooting stars from the Per- with brown skin, straight, dark hair, and glasses and Maude with seid shower, the measured strains of tidally locked Pluto and pale skin and tousled light hair. With short chapters, charming Charon as they whirl in a stately do-si-do, and an effervescent text, and pleasing drawings, this book is a delightful read. rap on astronomical distances: “They call us DJ Energy / and A solid sequel with new topics, themes, and fun. (Fiction. MC Square! / Physics is our business. / We’re a relative pair.” 7-10) Raff puts faces, generally with goofy expressions, on nearly all of the cartoonish heavenly bodies she depicts posing against starry backdrops, including both light- and dark-skinned THE WHOLE WIDE human figures in some scenes. The author unpacks select WORLD AND ME facts and concepts on each poem in closing notes, and he also Yuly, Toni identifies his meter, poetic type, and any literary references. Illus. by the author His comment on the title poem’s climax is a cogent one: “If it Candlewick (32 pp.) hasn’t happened to you yet, it will eventually.” $15.99 | Feb. 19, 2019 A giddy ride through our stellar neighborhood and 978-0-7636-9263-6 beyond. (glossary, URLs) (Picture book/poetry. 7-13) Eye-catching, perspective-shifting illustrations pair beautifully with simple text to embrace a child’s world. Spare, poetic text offers a steady rhythm that builds from a small flower to a fish, from a cloud to a child, as the story slowly widens its view to encompass the natural world. A young, black- haired, light-skinned girl who presents Asian explores the land, sea, and sky around her, from the smallest bug to the biggest wave. Unafraid, she instead feels connected and reflects: “I am a small part of it all,” embodying curiosity and wonder. Sprawled at the bottom of a hillside, she says, “I’m a pebble that rolls down a mountain,” as a pebble plummets down a mountain peak in the background. Her unbridled joy at interacting with

98 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - -

(Board book. 9) - 7004 - , shares both shares , and Me 123 the Farm 4926 - The Little Golden ABC, The Little Golden French 1 - Explore a quirky collection of crea- With With an aesthetic reminiscent of Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (26 pp.) Jabberwocky Sourcebooks tures and things in this ABC book with a decidedly retro feel. MR. BEAR’S ABC MR. BEAR’S 1951’s 1951’s $9.99 | Oct. 16, 2018 $19.99 | Sep. 4, 2018 A IS FOR ARTICHOKE A IS FOR Twirl/Chronicle (58 pp.) Twirl/Chronicle Illus. by the author Illus. Illus. by Frost, Maddie by Frost, Illus. 978-1-4926-7003-2 978-2-74709-500-6 A Foodie Alphabet from from Alphabet A Foodie to Zest Artichoke Aracil, Virginie Aracil, America’s Test Kitchen Test America’s Designed as a multileveled text intended to grow with its This well-intentioned but overambitious book has too America’s Test America’s Kitchen Test presents 26 facts about food and (123 the Farm and Me: 978 and Me: (123 the Farm 4) - beneath: lowercase block, as well as upper- and lowercase cur many ingredients to create a delectable whole. pages among the esoteric mix of food and cooking techniques possible, with lively faces plastered on food and utensils and vibrant colors to make the tasty morsels pop. Dashes of wit rial but not the board-book format, and all readers may find the find may readers all and format, board-book the not but rial reader and laid out one letter per page, the book first presents infused with modern hipness. A blocky, oversized upper ingly print-heavy page. Writing for young foodies is a tasty many cover topics far too sophisticated for the audience. Few companion, publishing neously most large letters; their emotionless, mouthless faces border on border faces mouthless emotionless, their letters; large most smaller type, and this is succeeded by a long, expository para- sive, though does the ABC set really need familiarity with cur sive? Three small Day-Glo bears inconsistently peek out from spice spice things up, such as a peppermint leaf soaking in a hot mug graph in even tinier print. Combined, it makes an overwhelm- toddlers toddlers will grasp that enhances “Umami” taste or that lox “is case letter dominates the verso with a trio of smaller letters concept, but the book’s ingredients don’t quite meld. There are There meld. quite don’t ingredients book’s the but concept, - mate the appreciate may foodies Older smoked.” not but cured Digitally be to a little dry. an unbrined turkey, clinical like tone, collaged illustrations gamely make the subject as much fun as cookery for aspiringcookery chefs. explanation that “Kumquats are tiny citrus fruits” follows in of water, of spa water, candles and fuzzy slippers A simulta- at the ready. author/illustrator author/illustrator Aracil presents a throwback abecedary a statement in a large typeface: “K is for Kumquats.” A short approach and flaws. detailing familiar items such as “oven” or “vanilla,” but too 1 snow kisses snow 6) - Winter | 1 january 2019 | 99 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 4) - The joys of winter, indoors and out, SNOW KISSES SNOW Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (20 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster $7.99 | Nov. 13, 2018 | Nov. $7.99 Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-5344-3075-4 Abbot, Judi Abbot, family of home. warmth cozy enjoying the and

The book’s tone is uniformly is emphasizing upbeat, tone fun the book’s The to be had outdoors with friends with be had outdoors snuggling and indoors, to with

This appealing board book reminds toddlers that there’s A story that ends as it begins—colorful, peaceful, and A winter winner. (Board book. 1 just right for the youngest naturalists. (Picture book. 3 bedtime, with polar-bear goodnight nuzzles and a tired pen- bears to cats, ducks, tigers, and, perhaps most inexplicably of hot cocoa or cuddling on the couch after a day of or outdoor cuddling play). on after hot the couch cocoa plenty of cause for excitement in the coming of winter. The page of the book. Pages of text face scenes of the wintry activi- white. white. The book’s tone is uniformly upbeat, emphasizing the is here! / Let’s all give a snowflake cheer!” Snowflakes adorn each adorn Snowflakes cheer!” snowflake a give all Let’s / here! is sleepyhead”). simple, rhymed text is reminiscent, in both meter and enthusi- gentle story, and the composition of each and spread the deservescomposition close gentle story, guin tucked into bed, dreaming of snow kisses (“good night, the natural world is infectious, and readers won’t be able to keep keep to able be won’t readers and infectious, is world natural the their own smiles hidden for long. Collage artwork features ink, Bold colors frame but do discover. to textures not the overtake ties described, both outdoors (sledding, skiing, and snowball zooms out from macro focus to wide angle to demonstrate scale scale demonstrate to angle wide to focus macro from out zooms charcoal pencil, torn tissue, pencil, and torn cut paper for charcoal bright, patterned celebrated from a toddler’s perspective. from a toddler’s celebrated of playing The in finalthe scenessnow. set the stage nicely for colors colors are muted pastels of light pink, purple, blue, or snowy and perspective. attention—Yuly carefully attention—Yuly balances white space and color and all, honeybees on skis. The animals are expressive and engaging;and expressive are animals The skis. on honeybees all, is falling! is “Snow Boynton: Sandra of writing the of asm, fun to be had outdoors with friends and indoors, snugglingwith indoors, and friends with outdoors had be to fun family and enjoying the cozy warmth of home after a busy day from snow-appropriate creatures such as penguins and polar fights) and indoors (curling up in a warm blanket and drinking

Each scene features sweetly rendered animals at play or at rest, board & baby books & baby board The book finds its hooves and paws with its graphically gorgeous design and illustrations. abc animals

disconcerting. The unexpected continues on the recto: While I CAN BE ANYTHING! there’s the familiar “ant” and “alligator” among the assortment Auerbach, Annie of “A” objects, the distinctly unusual choice “ax” also appears. Illus. by eOne Elsewhere, “Ulysses” (the Greek hero) and “Yeti” (munching Scholastic (16 pp.) a selection of Day-Glo popsicles, naturally) also make appear- $7.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 ances. “P” epitomizes this sauciness, with its small boy (back to) 978-1-338-22883-0 and his golden stream. Adult readers who smirk at this tongue- Series: Peppa Pig in-cheek humor are likely to love this book; if not, move on. The illustration styles vary wildly, from smooth-edged funky Peppa Pig, of British TV fame, loves vintage “cars” to a “fox” rendered in wild, brushy style. Ani- to dress up and imagines herself in a vari- mals both anthropomorphized (a “rhino” holding a “racket”) ety of professions on these subtly Peppa-shaped pages. and untamed (a roaring “jaguar”) share a sense of swanky flam- In dance class, she pretends to be a ballerina, and at boyance, accented by those Day-Glo highlights. The dazzling “Mummy Pig’s volunteer firehouse, Peppa imagines she is a orange binding and the extra-tall trim will surely lure little eyes. firefighter, too.” In five further double-page tableaux, she role- Those who relish an eclectic vibe will fall for this odd plays—and bucks some gender stereotypes—at being a chef, a offering. (Board book. 2-4) nurse, a construction worker, and an astronaut. Peppa Pig fans will recognize their favorite pink heroine, complete with her signature Picasso-esque eye placement and red dress, and sev- ABC ANIMALS eral supporting critters (including Pedro Pony) of a variety of Alpaca, Bonobo, and species fill out the simply drawn, bland, full-bleed digital scenes. Chinchilla - 26 Cool New The text consists of two to three sentences of simple narration Animals to Discover and the name of each career with a few important action words Arrhenius, Ingela Peterson set in bold, colored type. The final spread reviews all the jobs Walter Foster Jr. (36 pp.) Peppa explored, emphasizing that she “loves to imagine that $12.95 | Sep. 4, 2018 she can be anything when she grows up.” 978-1-63322-628-9 Peppa Pig partisans will be pleased, but the book does Series: Little Concepts little that hasn’t been done elsewhere already. (Board book. 2-4) Tired of learning about the same-old, same-old “cat” and “rabbit”? Here’s an opportunity to meet 26 new animal friends. Opening on a verso with the usual critters and a recto BABY FEMINISTS crammed with lesser-known species, an awkwardly rhyming Babbott-Klein, Libby introduction challenges readers to learn more about unusual Illus. by Walker, Jessica animals. Abruptly, the book then transitions into a traditional Viking (24 pp.) ABC format with “A is for Alpaca,” presenting one letter and $9.99 | Oct. 2, 2018 animal per page, a change that makes it read like an awkwardly 978-0-451-48010-1 stitched-together rhyming book and alphabet book. Its goal of broadening awareness of animal diversity is laudable, but with Yes, Billie Jean King, Dr. Mae Jemi- the creatures sporting only names and no other supporting son, and Malala Yousafzai were all babies at one time. information, readers might remain lost about what exactly is On each recto, there is a flap with the picture of a grown- a “fossa” or a “quokka.” Thankfully, the book finds its hooves up feminist icon. When the flap is opened, readers see a baby and paws with its graphically gorgeous design and illustrations. picture of this individual in a scene that includes an item that Showy, stylized animals achieve a delicate balance between cute was visible through a die-cut hole. Grown-up Ruth Bader Gins- yet realistic, and they look especially spiffy against sleekly pat- burg’s lace collar turns into baby Ruth’s bib, and both adult Frida terned or richly saturated pastel backgrounds. Each double- Kahlo and baby Frida wear flowers in their hair. The patterned page spread offers its own harmonious color combination, so text is a series of simple reverse-order statements, each of which the bright pink highlights and green-striped background of the starts on the verso and finishes beneath the flap with a repeated “okapi” inversely mirror the opposite page’s “pademelon” and its refrain: “Before she imagined peace, Yoko Ono was... / a baby.” vivid pink background and bushes in shades of green. Walker adeptly creates recognizable images of well-known fig- Though this feels rather like a bound set of attractive ures, but the expansive, cream-colored backgrounds dwarf and animal-themed flashcards, it might be just right for keen isolate many of the babes under the flaps. While empowering young zoologists. (Board book. 1-4) young girls is a worthy goal, the historical significance of these figures is likely to be lost on youngsters who are still learning the meanings of yesterday and today. The disembodied raised fists of adult Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes in their famous Esquire magazine photo and the baby-sized counterpart fists are particularly confusing. The four concluding

100 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - 3) - (Board book. Little ones learn about the diets of WHO EATS WHAT? WHO EATS Babin, Stéphanie $12.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 7, Aug. $12.99 | Twirl/Chronicle (14 pp.) Twirl/Chronicle Illus. by Kiko Illus. 978-2-40800-436-1 Great fun; potentially brief life span. (Board book. 1 Each of the six double-page spreads is set in a different While the panels are fun to slide, little naturalists may 4) - his eyes in classic peekaboo fashion; “Under the umbrella with with umbrella the “Under fashion; peekaboo classic in eyes his panels that reveal their foods of choice (aphids, earthworm, and earthworm, (aphids, choice of foods their reveal that panels want to uncover their information elsewhere. various critters. revealed by unfolding each sequence’s corresponding flaps, include “Here I am,” as Teddy’s arms are folded down to reveal to down folded are arms Teddy’s as am,” I “Here include you,” as the accompanying flap reveals Teddy holding a mirror Teddy holding a mirror you,” as flap reveals the accompanying get many rewarding readings out of a copy of this book. The to to reflect his young readers. There are a few surprises along the way—one stack of but blocks a conceals robot Teddy not two-page spread has not one but three flaps to unfold,but these same animals, cartoon drawn fashion, in toddler-friendly, from honey accesses bear (the oversimplified is information the encourages vocabulary-building and verbal skills, but late talk asers will well. be delighted environment, beginning with “In the Home” and ending with with square, easy-to-moveexample) appear on the recto sliding eat bread). (it can be unhealthy for birds to entirely accurate a limb, or at least of a hiding and design are place. irresistible, and That a well-supervised said, child should the artwork two-pagevignettes. of series a in intended, pun unfolds, action all the toys”; and the climactic “Look, I’m right here with appear in their habitat while simple lines of first-person text not and sight) in bee narya with stump pre-sawn conveniently a friend; Teddy is hiding behind the other stack. Better still, one one still, Better stack. other the behind hiding is Teddy friend; dragonfly, respectively)dragonfly, with a swipeto the left. On the verso, float nearby relating how each beast hunts or forages. Some of Each set piece starts with the titular question. The answers, Daddy”; “Under the covers with Mommy”; “In the box, with (a ladybug, frog, and robin on the “In the Garden” page, for Teddy isn’t behind any The of call-and-response them. isn’t format Teddy 2 “In “In the Jungle.” Rectangular windows with featured animals - - | 1 january 2019 | 101 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 3) - 5) This book’s peekaboo-inspired design peekaboo-inspired book’s This - Series: Touch and Explore Touch Series: is charming—and delicate. CREATURES WHERE ARE YOU, TEDDY? WHERE ARE YOU, BUGS AND OTHER LITTLEBUGS AND OTHER Babin, Stéphanie Babin, Stéphanie $11.99 | Oct. 2, 2018 $14.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 7, Aug. $14.99 | Twirl/Chronicle (18 pp.) Twirl/Chronicle Twirl/Chronicle (16 pp.) Twirl/Chronicle Illus. by Roode, Daniel by Roode, Illus. Illus. by Convert, Helene by Convert, Illus. 978-2-40800-434-7 978-2-40800-433-0 Simultaneously iconic, well-meaning, and developmen Oversized bugs are the center of attention, with body Feel Feel a bee’s fuzzy body or marvel at holographic butterfly Though it isn’t built to last, scientifically minded pre This lovely board book gets big points for inventive design design inventive for points big gets book board lovely This be brought to life with blue-green iridescence. Like insects, this insects, Like iridescence. blue-green with life to brought be book seems doomed by its fragile binding to a short life span, between between portraying the creepy-crawlies representationally yet between between spreads introducing one insect per page and in-depth tally inappropriate. (Board book. 1 highlights capture an insect’s natural ostentatiousness, allowing ostentatiousness, natural insect’s an capture highlights parts and species labelled and a descriptive sentence about wings in this tactile board book. nonthreateningly, although the wasp might realistic remain too nonthreateningly, ing of bug anatomy, ing fromof bug debossed anatomy, segments on a grasshopper insect’s habitat insect’s or life cycle on the verso with magnified insect sentences. Soft-colored digital illustrations strike a nice balance balance nice a strike illustrations digital Soft-colored sentences. smaller illustrated squares with factoids about the featured schoolers will be abuzz over this multisensory board book. to to a ladybug’s puffy wings, while sparkly papers and prismatic the particular characteristics of each one. The book alternates come come before, some encouragement to follow in their footsteps, elements. Grabby youngsters could quickly of deprive Teddy on the recto. Though the various tidbits are informative and early learners won’t sit through the cumbersome and wordy and a one- to two-sentence biography of each. biography of two-sentence and a one- to and one demerit for its use of flimsy stock for the fold-a-flap and a sticky (and out of place) earthworm will soon become as a sentence like “the wings on my back are bright and shiny” to acquaint older children with entomology-related vocabulary, double-pagereviewa of consist spreads have who figures the of dirty as the real thing. for the comfort of elements Tactile many. enrich - understand double-page spreads. These double spreads are composed of (Informational board book. 2 INTO THE FOREST with each monster, scratching the ogre’s hairy feet, pulling the Baker, Laura Jean witch’s stringy hair, tickling the ghost, and so on. Young read- Illus. by Taylor, Nadia ers can then banish each menace with the admonishment, “Go abramsappleseed (10 pp.) away, Nightmare Monster! INTO THE CLOSET!” What level $9.99 | Oct. 30, 2018 of protection that offers, who knows, but every kid loves an 978-1-4197-3354-3 invitation to yell. Great fun, but perhaps best saved till after the first A sweet introduction to some of nightmare! (Board book. 18 mos.-5) the animals that inhabit a North Amer- ican forest. As a squirrel searches for its mama it encounters a few BABY’S FIRST CHRISTMAS other animal families along the way. Some are named, such as Beets, Sally foxes, bears, deer, and rabbits, and some are not, such as frogs, DK Publishing (14 pp.) birds, and butterflies. Squirrel’s search is described in rhyming $6.99 | Sep. 18, 2018 text—“Hopping and stopping, / Squirrel sees deer! / But not her 978-1-4654-6867-3 Mama— / she isn’t here.” There are plenty of rich vocabulary- building verbs, such as “scurries,” “darts,” “scampers,” “peer,” New babies don’t know much about and “peek.” But the real joy in this board book is in the design Christmas. This simple board book aims and illustrations. Young readers will love the layered and shaped to correct that situation. die-cut pages that reveal a different group of animals on each The cover art of a smiling white snowman against a bright spread. The illustrations are bold and bright, employing a pal- red background sporting a green-and-red stocking hat, scarf, ette of mostly green, brown, orange, and blue. Exploring little and gloves invites readers in. Simple stock images, often of hands will delight in passing their fingers over the raised designs toys, one per page, highlight additional objects often associated found on every page as well as the smoothness of Squirrel’s spot with secular aspects of the holiday. Each item is shown in its gloss. And Squirrel’s quest? “Finally, who does Squirrel see? / It’s most generic form, embossed and glossy against high-contrast Mama and her family! / Now Squirrel is right where she should backgrounds. Thankfully, not all the pictures are green and be— / napping in her favorite tree.” red. The first pages—of a snowflake and ornament—have blue A book toddlers will enjoy reading with an adult but and yellow backgrounds. The next two pictures, of a polar bear also on their own. (Board book. 1-4) and penguin, are odd choices since they really have nothing to do with the holiday. A Christmas tree, angel, present, stocking, reindeer, and “santa” (the last printed in lowercase as if a I DOUBLE DARE YOU! generic) are more closely associated with the celebration. The Battault, Paule angel is a knitted brown doll with a white handkerchief dress. Illus. by Ameling, Charlotte The reindeer is a stuffed animal. Each object is clearly labeled, Twirl/Chronicle (20 pp.) and an exclamation or question (“Look at her sparkly halo!”) in a $14.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 smaller font extends the conversation. The final spread reprises 978-2-40800-432-3 all the images except the snowman. An unremarkable but effective way to inculcate famil- A lighthearted look at things that go iarity with standard Christmas iconography. (Board book. 6 bump in the night. mos.-2) Eventually, every child has a bad dream. This book aims to empower toddlers by putting their nightmares into perspective and their monsters in the closet. Fun, inventive artwork and BIBLE ANIMALS a battery of well-deployed tactile elements admirably reduce Beets, Sally nightmare bugaboos to manageable, nonthreatening propor- DK Publishing (14 pp.) tions. This “hair-raising touch-and-feel book” boasts a wide $5.99 | Oct. 9, 2018 assortment of fuzzy, furry hides, googly eyes, stringy strands of 978-1-4654-8015-6 hair, debossed ghosts, bumpy werewolf noses, scratchy dragon Series: Baby Touch and Feel scales, and sticky giant-squid suction cups to keep small hands busy as tykes read along with caregivers. The brightly colored An introduction to a menagerie of monsters meld monstrous size and teeth with shapes and animals found in the Bible, with tactile swatches embedded in expressions just goofy enough to convey charm and approach- the pages, for the littlest readers. ability rather than menace. The combination works. The scarier Most of the images are clear photos set, in signature DK qualities of these monsters acknowledge children’s fears rather fashion, against a white or solid color background. Each ani- than dismissing them, but the humorous and gentle touches mal—an ox, a camel and calf, a lion, a sheep, and more—is allow children to reassess the level of danger their nightmare captioned with a black sans-serif lowercase label, and a small creatures actually pose. Children are “double dared” to interact textural feature, often less than a square inch, is set into the

102 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult ------Six of the most recognizable songs Series: My First Sound Sound First Series: My LITTLE HOOD RED RIDING THE NUTCRACKER I LOVE Cartwheel/Scholastic (16 pp.) Blay, Amy Amy Blay, Billet, Marion Billet, $9.99 | Sep. 25, 2018 $9.99 | Sep. 25, $10.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 Aug. | $10.99 Illus. by the author Illus. Trans. by Maurin, Susan Allen Susan by Maurin, Trans. 978-1-338-26720-4 978-2-7338-5625-3 Auzou Publishing (10 pp.) Auzou Adapt. by Bradley, MaryChris by Bradley, Adapt. 3) - In the ageand of downloadableYouTube music, a holi The prominently boldfaced title of each dance is followed This board-book retelling of “Little Riding Red Hood” fea- This version of the red-caped protagonist sports a distinc Series: My First Fairy Tales Tales Fairy First Series: My by a brief suggestion of what to listen for or find in the illustra- blanket blanket that covers the wolf on Grandma’s bed, a spinner that litons”; litons”; the animals “performing” it are wearing generic West tial purchase, but this is a well-executed alternative for has an “on/off” switch hidden under Instructionsa flap. in tiny pandas wearing Mandarin suit jackets dance around dance a to teapot suit jackets pandas Mandarin wearing print explain how to replace the three button cell batteries. the three button replace print explain how to protrudes from the basket, which readers are told contains pajamas, which the text calls “one of nightgowns.” [Grandma’s] no real attempt to place the whimsical tunes in context or to ing cartoon animals dressed in brightly colored, vaguely ethnic toddlers whether readers, Most Dance.” “Chinese the illustrate book the how clearlyof through regardless comes which music, pageextra-thick last, the in installed supply power A handled. is bottle a of neck The text. French original the of translation rin’s manipulate manipulate but do not add There much are to regret the story. tion. Toddlers will easily locate Toddlers and tion. press the button that plays the 13 to 16 seconds of the opening bars of each There song. is tures colorful, retro-styletures colorful, illustrations and a few movable flaps. tive cone-shaped hood as she enacts the The familiar the sturdy story. interactions motions include a of swinging basket, a table inaccuracies and elisions in Bradley’s adaptation of - Mau caregiverswanting incorporate to with musicreading time. costumes. costumes. For example, for the “Russian Dance,” three gray or going adults, on willin the wonder what’s of “Dance the Mir ern play clothes. No matter; the real point of this book is the day board book with recordings is probably not an essen foxes foxes wear Cossack-type hats and embroidered jackets. Two from Tchaikovsky’s ballet receive brief board-book treatment. brief ballet receive Tchaikovsky’s from follow a storyline; instead, each spread is illustrated with danc depicts the wolf’s dreams; they give younger kids something to (Board book. 1 “cake and butter” for Grandma, and the wolf wears a pair of frillyof pair a wears wolf the and Grandma, for butter” and “cake - i love the nutcracker i love | 1 january 2019 | 103 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 3) - 312 - 78603 - 1 - 2) - Series: Whizzy Wheels Academy Academy Wheels Whizzy Series: QEB Publishing (24 pp.) Bently, Peter Bently, $8.95 | Nov. 6, 2018 $8.95 | Nov. TESS THE TRACTOR Illus. by Chebret, Sebastien by Chebret, Illus. 978-1-78603-310-9 clearly is handled. how the book of regardless (Board book. 6 mos. Fergus the Fire Engine, the Fire publishing gets Fergus simultaneously, (Fergus the Fire Engine: 978 Engine: the Fire (Fergus 4) - The real point of this book is the music, which comes through comes which is the music, this book point of The real These driverless vehicles aren’t quite road ready. (Board The premise is simple—chunky, rather generic-looking Winning photos but unsatisfyingly small touch-and- Another series of board books about trucks hopes to find an find to hopes trucks about books board of series Another book. 2 between between her headlights. has Rusty a mustache (maybe to make locate them. locate him look older?). All the trucks have large eyeballs in their wind- their in eyeballs large truckshave the All older?). look him feel elements. elements. feel photo photo but rather the only graphic representation in the book. page. The whale has a bit of blue-gray vinyl on its tail, and new books about trucks. wants to go “faster.” She wants gets to stuck go in “faster.” the mud and must be res vehicles attend Whizzy Wheels Academy to learn driving ideally suited for very young children and should be regarded as regarded be should veryand for children ideallyyoung suited ing and putting out the fire, all without help from a firefighter. no apparent reason, the shiny foil image of the fish is nota in the truck fleet (or at least the only one with eyelashes).In ments (shiny feathers) hay, instead of embedded fabrics. For shields—Tess’ are lashed—but shields—Tess’ no drivers in sight. thinks Tess she already knows everything a tractor needs to know. She skills from a their yellow instructor, Rusty, pickup truck. Like the donkey has a blue fabric blanket. A few creatures, such the other vehicles in the class, red sports tractor Tess a smile contrast, cued by Rusty and Lenny the loader. This turn of and eventscued Lenny by the comes Rusty loader. an additional purchase at best for older children desperate for and blatant character-education messages, are these not stories and blatant character-education a gold star fromfor rescuing Rusty a man from a burning build- across as more than a bit sexist since is Tess the only female appear in the Bible, but there is no or quote verse notation to as the lamb and the dove, appear with embossed textural ele- audience in a crowded marketplace. in a crowded audience Biblically grown-ups willliterate recognize that these animals With two to eight lines of text per page, complicated storylines, page,per text of lines eight complicated to two With Whether quietly reading, running in a tiger suit, singing with mom in the car, ears flapping in the breeze, or enjoying the safety of mom’s embrace, Pookie’s appeal continues unabated. i love you, little pookie

This quick story ends with the hunter shown wielding a pair of US scissors on the wolf’s bulging belly as the text recounts that he Boylan, Frank “rescued Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother” (who Illus. by Manning, Mary emerge unscathed with the pull of a tab). One of the main dis- Flowerpot Press (20 pp.) appointments of this shortened (but still text-heavy) version is $7.99 | Oct. 16, 2018 that it skips the “Grandma, what big eyes you have!” routine. 978-1-4867-1545-9 The publisher recommends an age range of “0-36 months,” which is consistent with the format but not with the audience’s While not poetically perfect, this is developmental readiness. Companion title Pinocchio, with illus- an undeniably sweet salute to the enduring nature of parent- trations by Tiago Americo, is similarly awkward and unsuitable. child bonds. Skip. (Novelty board book. 3-5) (Pinocchio: 978-2-7338-5626-0) Warm and lovely watercolor illustrations of an adult bear and cub, both genderless, enjoying special moments of togetherness make this sentimental celebration of family work. Snug- HELLO BIRDS, gling, picnicking, singing, and dancing together are beautifully WHAT DO YOU SAY? rendered and expressed. Boylan also specifically references Botman, Loes the strength of the family relationship as a support for the all- Illus. by the author too-familiar phenomenon of separation anxiety in a very calm Floris (12 pp.) and reassuring way. “Because me and you”—grammar aside— $9.95 | Aug. 7, 2018 “are true friends through-and-through, / you know all that I 978-1-78250-488-7 have we can share. / Like the thoughts that I think and I keep Series: Hello Animals in my bank / for the times I know you won’t be there.” This theme is reiterated at the end: “So the times you’re alone or A sequence of birds answer the titular times I’m not at home / and you feel your heart starting to question with their signature sounds, accompanied by impres- fuss, / borrow these thoughts and make them your own / and sionistic paintings. then think all these things about us.” The final image is the This book is a Dutch import via Scotland, and its origins cub sleeping peacefully, dreaming of snuggles, and secure that show in the lineup, as five of the 12 birds represented do not they are loved. The tone is forgivably syrupy and effusive at typically occur in North America (and at least two others, the times, but it often strikes just the right note: “I love when we starling and the sparrow, are invasive imports). Still, although have quiet time all alone, / when there’s no one around for a most North American children may not recognize the bullfinch while. / And when I look at you and then you look at me / and or the Eurasian coot, they will get a kick out of chiming in as we just take a moment and smile.” their caregivers read “Pipe pipe” or “Kowp kowp,” respectively. Lovely to look at and sweet in sentiment if a little shaky Botman presents each bird on a single page, the features clos- in poetic expression. (Board book. 1-5) est to viewers (usually feather details) quite distinct, while the edges blur into dappled, soft-focus backgrounds. There is a peculiar inconsistency to the presentation: While the blue tit I LOVE YOU, LITTLE POOKIE and great tit are represented opposite each other as two distinct Boynton, Sandra species, for instance, a mute swan, a mallard drake, and a her- Illus. by the author ring gull are described only as “swan,” “duck,” and “gull.” Still, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (18 pp.) there’s no denying the illustrations are very attractive, and the $5.99 | Dec. 4, 2018 predictable pattern and onomatopoeia (“Chatter chatter says the 978-1-5344-3723-4 magpie. / Chook chook says the blackbird”) vigorously support Series: Little Pookie pre-literacy skills. Though many of these birds aren’t likely to be found A sweet celebration of the bond in most North American backyards, it’s nevertheless a between a mother and her Pookie. friendly introduction to birds and bird calls for children on The eighth installment in this always charming series this side of the pond. (Board book. 1-3) eschews the episodic drama and silliness of earlier outing such as Spooky Pookie (2015) in favor of a mom’s-eye–view celebration of her child and the time they spend together. There is, of course, nothing wrong with drama and silliness. But while the lack of conflict and plot in favor of unapologetic sentiment makes this book a quick read, that doesn’t make it any less endearing. The rhymed verse captures a mother’s wonder as she observes the many facets of her child’s personality: “Ah, Pookie. My little one. My funny one. My child. // Sometimes you are quiet. Sometimes you are wild.” On the simple joys of shared moments, she notes, “I love to go walking with you by my side.

104 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult 3; The Sleepy - 1521 - (The Hungry Monster:

4867 - 4) - 1 - (Board book. 2 A A little girl becomes “the silly mon- 0) Series: First West Coast Books West Series: First Series: Little Monsters Series: Little Monsters ster” after she returns oversugared and ONE EAGLE SOARING ONE EAGLE Harbour Publishing (20 pp.) Harbour Budd, Robert Bucknell, Kate Bucknell, (14 pp.) Press Flowerpot $9.95 | Aug. 4, 2018 Aug. $9.95 | $7.99 | Sep. 12, 2018 $7.99 - THE SILLY MONSTER THE SILLY Illus. by Vickers, Roy Henry Roy Vickers, by Illus. Illus. by Seal, Julia by Seal, Illus. 978-1-55017-828-9 978-1-4867-1519-0 1522 - 6; The Lazy Monster: 978 The Lazy Monster: 6; Hello Humpback! (2017), Humpback! Hello Budd and First Nations - 4867 - 1 - 1520 - 4867 - Uninspired illustrations and an unrealistic conclusion Following Following In this In board Tilly returnsbook, from bag a birthday party, 1 Vickers offers Vickers vivid illustrations of Coast West animals in - because readers certainly know she will. Seal’s cutesy illustra- by a “monster” is guided back by a parent. black uppercase letters; the rest of the sentence is in cursive linger on pages.Tilly has pale skin and dirty-blonde while hair, lowercase letters. Corresponding numerals are printed in the her father has light-brown skin and brown hair. Simultaneously her skin father and hasbrown hair. light-brown understand and own these The feelings. book ends Tilly’s with unrealistic promise to her father that the silly monster won’t make this one to pass on. practices practices she’ll use the next time she turns into the monster, publishing titles feature the and sleepy, lazy, hungry monsters page spread, except for seven swans and eight robins, presented presented robins, eight and swans seven for except spread, page with corresponding illustrations of a red monster with blue monster” that often overtakes their child, and children may be include some nice details, they do little to invite readers to glossy raised in page,printed that on shown animal and number spots—jumping on the couch and bugging her brother. Her some quiet time. Adult readers will be familiar with this “silly tions appear on stark white backgrounds, and while they do time counting up from one to 10. up fromtime counting one to their natural habitats along with traditional Northwest Pacific Each line of the rhyming begins text together. with the written ever return again rather than a reinforcement of the calming overexcited fromoverexcited a birthday party. of candy in hand, and becomes the titular monster—illustrated and follow the same concept and structure: A child overcome artist Vickers (Tsimshian, artist Haida, Vickers (Tsimshian, and Heiltsuk) are back, this father’s father’s intervention turns the monster back into Tilly with in lacking What’s mania. post-party of feelings the with familiar Bucknell’s text, however, is a text, Bucknell’s however, mechanism to help young readers Indigenous Indigenous motifs. Each number is presented on one double- 978 Monster: 978 Monster: 4) - | 1 january 2019 | 105 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 3) - Little Pookie (2011) Seven years after MERRY CHRISTMAS, MERRY LITTLE POOKIE first appeared, this popular piglet is Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (18 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster Boynton, Sandra $5.99 | Sep. 18, 2018 | Sep. 18, $5.99 Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-5344-3724-1 The small size, a predictable winter adventure, and An unabashed love letter from (Board mother. book. 1 “Oh Pookie! Come look! It’s beginning to snow,” says a baking and The decorating rhyming cookies. text mirrors the beneath the musical notation. Finally Pookie hangs a stocking stocking a hangs Pookie Finally notation. musical the beneath light indoor holiday preparations—making paper garlands, piglet, the result is impossible to fault. Whether quietly read- pigs—and Boynton’s pigs—and requisite Boynton’s chicken—singing (“Con brio”), - won a is are you that way The / play. you and asthink watch you with other little piggies. (Board book. mos. 18 renderings of a porcine mommy and her playful, snuggly little ringing. / Our family and friends have arrived for the singing.” ing, running in a tiger suit, singing with mom in the car, ears makes it makes Then clear is “the when speaking. doorbellPookie is maternal-looking maternal-looking pig. But where did Pookie go? Past the spare illustrations. A spidery type that emulates handwriting stocking stuffer or an ideal Christmas Eve read to share time to be walking with you.” When she observes, “Our noses be walking with you.” time to cheerful mama is willing to go out too. After all, “It’s a magical a “It’s all, After too. out go to willing is mama cheerful are frozen. time It’s to go in,” Pookie protests in typical - tod and goes off bed to without any fuss, anticipating presents on derful way.” Paired with author/illustrator Boynton’s irresistible Boynton’s author/illustrator with Paired way.” derful dler style: “But I’m not c-c-c-cold!” The next three pages high- dler style: “But I’m not c-c-c-cold!” Christmas tree, to put on a snowsuit of course. ever Pookie’s Christmas morning. Boynton’s very toddlerlike character make this a fine flapping in the breeze, or enjoying the safety of mom’s embrace, embrace, mom’s of safety the enjoying or breeze, the in flapping finallycelebrating Christmas. Pookie’s appeal continues unabated. appeal continues Pookie’s / I love when And sing we I when lovego we for a just ride. to // The second-to-last spread shows Pookie, The mama, second-to-last and spread six shows other Pookie, A A HAP-PY NEW YEAR!” Conveniently, this text is placed “MER-RY “MER-RY CHRIST-MAS! MER-RY CHRIST-MAS! AND corners. “FIVE SEA LIONS like it sunny // SIX BEARS hunt ALL IS MERRY AND BRIGHT for honey.” Many of the animals are also presented in raised Burton, Jeffrey glossy illustrations with vivid colors. The Indigenous motifs are Illus. by Clark, Don often subtly incorporated, as with two glossy all-black herons Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (26 pp.) embossed against matte black backgrounds. Every turn of the $24.99 | Nov. 20, 2018 page brings a new, dramatic landscape that showcases these ani- 978-1-5344-2912-3 mals. Although not all the animals in the book are specifically Series: Shine Bright Book iconic to the Pacific Northwest, the tactile raised elements and the Indigenous motifs add a unique and important component This oversized board book may be to the enjoyment of this book. too heavy for little children to lift, but the foil-clad pages will This book showcases the beauty of the Pacific North- draw their eyes. west and will delight and engage resident and nonlocal tod- It’s large (10 inches high and 9 inches wide but also 2 inches dlers alike. (Board book. 1-3) thick)—with pages twice as thick as in most board books. Foil pages with embossed text and subtle tactile decorations are reminiscent of expensive holiday giftwrap. There is no story HI-FIVE ANIMALS! here (and no punctuation), but there is action. Most panels Burach, Ross depict a varied cast of children engaged in winter and holiday Illus. by the author activities. The words call to mind “Silent Night,” but this is not Scholastic (20 pp.) a rewrite of that classic carol. Rather, the poetic text and mod- $6.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 ern design evoke the spirit of the holiday season. Three to six 978-1-338-24567-7 well-chosen words in uppercase text centered on either recto or verso are well-matched to the stylized illustrations. For exam- The user instructions on the cover of ple, on the third spread, the words “WHEN LIGHTS SHINE” this board book are simple: “Read, Hi-Five, Repeat.” are surrounded by holiday ornaments in silver, copper green, Black-lined cartoon images of 12 different animals hold- blue, and red against a deep green background. Similarly, on ing out various appendages for readers to slap are accompa- the eighth spread, a family greeting a troupe of carolers (both nied by rhyming invitations to play this greeting game. Burach groups multiracial) shares a picture window with the words assumes, probably correctly, that toddlers already know how to “SINGING RINGING VOICES RISE.” More than 35 shiny give a high-five, but any who don’t will soon. His rhymes work: musical notes float above the scene. “STOMP YOUR FEET! / Hi-five a trunk! // Hold your nose. Hi- Display this shimmering keepsake under the tree every five a skunk!” But they introduce vocabulary that many toddlers Christmas to remember the spirit of the season. (Board book. may not yet possess, as in an elephant’s “trunk,” so caregivers 1-4) will need to be ready to help interpret. Sometimes meaning becomes lost in the cleverness, as with “Belly slide, flipper flap! / Round the back, polar clap!” This rhyme is paired with a stylized BOO AT THE ZOO penguin and an extremely abstract polar bear that’s positioned A Lift-the-Flap Book back to, holding its paw behind its back. Each animal has googly Burton, Jeffrey eyes, and usually one wing, paw, or fin is extra-large to make a Illus. by Trithart, Emma target. The exaggerated appendages that facilitate the game Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (14 pp.) also make the animals look out of proportion and even less like $7.99 | Jul. 24, 2018 the real thing. The book’s sturdy construction and extra-thick 978-1-5344-2033-5 pages will survive the repeated rough handling it invites. Burach earns a fist bump if not an actual high-five. Zoo animals dress up for Halloween (Board book. 2-4) trick-or-treat in this lift-the-flap board book. Rhyming text and interactive features should guarantee a hit with toddlers. Unfortunately, the rhythm is off. Poor scansion makes even acceptable rhymes like “toe” and “glow” or “tune” and “moon” awkward. “Guess Boo?” inserted after each verse is confusing for young children just learning to play “Guess who?” games. The large flaps in each double-page spread are almost the same size as the page they hide; that they can be lifted is only implied by the decorative die-cut edges, and their thinness makes them quite difficult for small fingers to grasp. Similarly, the notion of costumed animals is a promising premise, but the wordplay introduced by Burton assumes too much background knowledge for the board-book audience. For example giraffes are dressed as “Giraffenstein,” penguins as “Penguincesses,” and

106 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | The text is hand-lettered into each illustration; the volume of each “rumble” and “vroom” is conveyed calligraphically, by the relative sizes of the letters. vroom vroom garbage truck

monkeys as “Apirate.” These made-up words are difficult to pro- MY FIRST I SEE YOU nounce and assume young children will recognize Frankenstein, A Mirror Book princess, and pirate costumes when they turn the flaps. The fact Carle, Eric that singular nouns are used to describe some of these groups Illus. by the author of costumed animals is also confusing. The “Under-wearwolves” Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (14 pp.) are particularly obscure. (And what toddler knows underwear $7.99 | Jul. 10, 2018 as “tighty-whities”?) 978-1-5344-2454-8 Too much trick and not enough treat. (Board book. 2-4) Series: World of Eric Carle Carle’s iconic illustrations are recycled for a new generation LOOKING GOOD! of toddlers. Busby, Ailie As she did in My First Peek-a-Boo Animals (2017) and My First Child’s Play (12 pp.) Busy Book (2015), designer Hannah Frece has chosen images $6.99 | Aug. 20, 2018 from the Eric Carle backlist to illustrate a simple board book. 978-1-78628-194-4 This time mirrors have been added to images on the right-hand Series: Just Like Me! side of each spread. If the book is held just right, the child’s face is reflected within the outline of a cloud, a sun, a tree, a An affirming, upbeat board book moon, and a star. (Sticky fingers quickly scratch and smudge the compares animal features to those of a mirrors.) A heart-shaped cutout on the cover reveals the first diverse group of kiddos. mirror and complements the butterflies on the first-page verso.

A simple factual statement about an animal is presented Rhyming stanzas starting with “I see you in...” are completed young adult on the verso; a simplified image of that animal printed ona by a description of an appropriate action. So a butterfly “flut- shaped gatefold on the facing page opens to show a smiling ters so high,” clouds “float across the sky,” a lion “roars,” the sun child exclaiming, “So do I!” Uncluttered illustrations of an ele- “shines,” a monkey “swings,” and so on. Some actions, seemingly phant’s “floppy ears,” a bush baby’s “big eyes,” a fox’s “pointy forced by the need to rhyme, may puzzle young children. Do nose,” a crocodile’s “sharp teeth,” and a lizard’s “little fingers puppies really play peekaboo? The final double-page spread and toes” are matched behind the gatefold page by children invites children to repeat each action. After one reading most with the same characteristics. The children are all drawn in the toddlers will already be fluttering, roaring, and waving along, same style, with round heads and prominent eyes, but with vari- but the reprise is a reminder that reading with toddlers should ous shades of brown skin. Three other books published simul- be an interactive experience. taneously follow the same pattern and design. Feeling Great! Carle’s illustrations are lovely as always, but this attributes human emotions to animals. Who knows whether a repackaging seems unnecessary—more marketing ploy chipmunk is “excited” or a camel is “grumpy”? But young chil- than essential purchase. (Board book. 6 mos.-2) dren will understand the concept and happily chime in “So do I.” Feeding Time! and On the Go! successfully deal with more- concrete concepts. Toddlers will quickly adopt their refrains of VROOM VROOM “Me too!” and “Just like me!” Refolding the large, rather heavy GARBAGE TRUCK gatefold flaps so a toddler can turn the page can be awkward but Citro, Asia is a minor concern. Illus. by Cummings, Troy Overall, these durable board books are well-suited to The Innovation Press (30 pp.) the interests and attention spans of toddlers, who naturally $8.99 | Oct. 9, 2018 see themselves at the center of the universe. (Board book. 1-3) 978-1-943147-43-4 (Feeding Time!: 978-1-78628-192-0; Feeling Great!: 978-1-78628-195-1; On the Go!: 978-1-78628-193-7) A 30-page tour de force of a board book that is even better than its title would suggest. Given a toddler’s natural fascination for heavy equipment in general and for garbage trucks in particular, this volume could have offered far less and still been a hit. But, surprise, this cleverly written and lovingly rendered volume should prove an absolute delight for caregivers and tots alike. This onomatopoeic opus is ideal read-aloud fun, a slice-of- life snapshot of a garbage truck featuring all the signature sounds that alert tykes that the truck is nearby. It’s still dark when the titular truck wakes to the “plip plop” of raindrops and then starts with a click, headlights on, ready for a creak- ing, clanging day of rubbish collection. The illustrations are charming and economical, imbuing the protagonist with

| kirkus.com | board & baby books | 1 january 2019 | 107 Carefully composed sketches similar in style to Jules Feiffer’s cartoons evoke the city’s hustle and bustle against white backgrounds. in the city

huge amounts of personality with surprisingly few (satisfy- HATS OF FAITH ingly thick) lines. The text is hand-lettered into each illustra- Cohan-Petrolino, Medeia tion; the volume of each “rumble” and “vroom” is conveyed Illus. by Walsh, Sarah calligraphically, by the relative sizes of the letters. The day Chronicle (14 pp.) of sanitation engineering is replete with drama and tri- $9.99 | Aug. 24, 2018 umph, whether braking for ducklings or backing up (“beep 978-0-9576364-7-7 beep beep!!!”) to collect trash from a man who overslept (“AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” is the one line of dialogue in the What are you wearing on your head? book). The smiling truck dumps its load from its aft end in This board book is an introduction to a panel that could have come from a book on potty training traditional religious head coverings from different faiths. “Many and then heads home for the night. religious people share the custom of covering their heads to show The book may be about garbage, but it’s pure gold. their love for God,” it opens. Each page presents an illustrated (Board book. 1-5) portrait of a person from a particular religion, faith, or culture wearing their head covering. The painterly portraits show people of varied skin tones, eye colors, and hair colors and are religiously ZOOM! BEEP! VROOM! accurate—the South Asian Muslim man wearing a topi has a full BUSY CITIES beard, and the young Jewish boy wearing the kippah has long Illus. by Cleland, Josh sidelocks. The spare text includes the name of the head covering, Duo Press (13 pp.) its phonetic pronunciation, and the faith/culture where it is often $9.95 | Oct. 2, 2018 worn. “This is a Patka (Putt-kah), / which many Sikh boys wear.” 978-1-947458-27-7 It celebrates Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Rastafarian, and Christian head coverings. There are other words that can be used for the Vehicles, geography, and onomatopoeia come together in same head coverings that are not mentioned (yarmulke for kip- this sturdy board book for toddlers. pah, dupatta for chunni), and some of the pronunciations may be Cartoonish illustrations are active, colorful, and vibrant, suspect (tou-pi or toh-pi? choon-ee or choon-nee?). Despite this, and they buzz with vehicular activity. Each double-page spread it is a book in which global kids can see themselves and others, a focuses on a different city, presenting a well-known city land- mirror as well as a window. With no real context supplied, this mark and the city skyline. The name of the city is also clearly serves as just an introduction. indicated: on a big red double-decker bus in rainy London, on A useful starting point for an interesting discussion a young man’s T-shirt at a train station in Mexico City, on a with preschoolers and elementary school students on head child’s hat in Vancouver. And what the toddlers are really going coverings, faith, and respect in our diverse world. (Board to be interested in is the assortment of vehicles in all those cit- book. 3-7) ies. Spare narrative text is enhanced by onomatopoeia, which adds interest and action: the “zoooooooooooooooom” of a bullet train in Hong Kong, the “woo woo woo” of a police car and IN THE CITY the “wee uuu wee uuu” of an ambulance in Tokyo, and the quiet Colman, Michelle Sinclair “whir whir whir” of a stroller in Vancouver. Diverse adults and Illus. by Schmid, Paul children, with skin and hair of many different shades, are pres- Knopf (24 pp.) ent in all the cities, and women are shown driving a fire engine $7.99 | Sep. 18, 2018 in New York, a bulldozer in Seattle, a bicycle in Paris, and, with 978-1-5247-1500-7 a headscarf, flying the Dubai Air plane. Series: You See, I See With plenty to see, hear, and identify, young children will enjoy the many busy cities and the plethora of vehicles A child does all the talking in this in them. (Board book. 1-3) deceptively simple board book about the city adventure of a child with puffy pigtails and their lanky dad who sports a hipster’s porkpie hat. Uncomplicated rhyming sentences are set in a blue type for what dad sees and orange for what the child notices, making their different perspectives clear. Carefully composed sketches similar in style to Jules Feiffer’s cartoons evoke the city’s hustle and bustle against white backgrounds. Seemingly casual pencil strokes deftly show dad’s and child’s changing emotions. For example, on the second spread, Dad looks up at “big skyscrap- ers,” while the child is more curious about a pile of newspapers. Dad seems always to have a destination—a bakery for apple strudel, a shortcut through the square—while the child is distracted by poodles and pigeons. Rural and suburban children

108 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - 4) - Series: Peanut Bear Series: Peanut WHAT’S IN THE FOREST? WHAT’S Cosentino, Ralph Cosentino, $7.99 | Oct. 9, 2018 $7.99 Insight Kids (24 pp.) Insight Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-68383-235-5 5) - Here’s hoping this whimsical cast of characters finds a finds characters of cast whimsical this hoping Here’s Peanut Bear, Cowbunny Bear, Peanut Bo, and Owlivia live and cavort in Many Many of these critters are a mashup of two things: bear Young Young readers can practice observational and organi Sometimes it can be function that marks the odd one out, as books, is playful and engaging, executed in gentle pastels and belong has been cleverly snuck into each As grouping. the title be questions about the correct answers, the last double-page just a rabbit in a 10-gallon and hat, Owlivia however, simply an and lakes the in around splash and trees, the among frolic jokes, lipops or the rocket ship that looks so much like the bottles and bottles the like much so looks that ship rocket the or lipops ponds. At ponds. At the end of their meanderings, Peanut Bear enjoys a plus peanut (which gives the titular character the look of a provides a rich opportunity for adults to engage children in with a crayonlike line However his quality. character mashups with dry, unfocused narration. with dry, with the road sign that sneakily stands among the candy and lol- and candy the among sneakilystands that sign road the with zational skills with this clever book that masquerades as a in their home that resembles a sideways peanut. Cosentino’s animals these identity to learnedhave will who preschoolers it’s ice cream, and sodas included, “edibles” might be a better word. word. better a be might sodas“edibles” and included, cream, ice suggests, the groupings are all food related—though with candy, candy, with related—though food all are suggests, groupings the spread has a visual key. squirrel (Sqwhale), and more. (Cowbunny Bo appears to be story worthy their of talents. (Board book. 2 gettable, exposition joining speech bubbles to pepper the pagesthe pepper to bubbles speech joining exposition gettable, the magical forest of Yippity Yay. Yippity the magical forest of game. (Board book. 2 owl with ridiculously long legs.) These friends tell one another objects of similar shape and One color. object that just doesn’t a different category other it’s instances of containers drinks. In of food, as with the banana among the meats. But each spread examining, describing, and discussing categories. Should there art, a radical departure from his bestselling superhero picture are better suited to children older than the board-book crowd; The and story can is better appreciate largelythe wordplay. for Weeble), corn-on-the-cob Weeble), plus unicorn (Unicorny), whale plus “forest meal” with his family, all of whom are also peanut-shaped, peanut-shaped, also are whom of all family, his with meal” “forest - - - 3) - (Board | 1 january 2019 | 109 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books (Board book. 1 Street Sesame song goes: “One In In rhyming verse, explore a farm As the Series: You See, I See You Series: of these things is not like the others, / ON THE FARM FOOD HIDE AND SNEAK FOOD One of these things just doesn’t belong, / One of these things just doesn’t Colman, Michelle Sinclair Colman, Michelle Knopf (24 pp.) Phaidon (26 pp.) $7.99 | Jul. 3, 2018 | Jul. $7.99 $9.95 | Aug. 7, 2018 7, Aug. $9.95 | Illus. by Schmid, Paul Illus. Illus. by Contraire, Bastien by Contraire, Illus. 978-1-5247-1447-5 978-0-7148-7723-5 3) - Excellent for sharing before or after a city walk. It’s It’s docile and harmless, but there are already better This tame board book features a toddler and their Indeed, this mostly wordless book introduces readers to the to readers introduces book wordless mostly this Indeed, barnyard-themedbooksavailable choose. to book. 1 both with light-brown skin, enjoy each other’s company. skin, enjoy each other’s both with light-brown line: “I cannot see very far.” Throughout, it is clear that this duo, duo, this that clear is it Throughout, veryfar.” see cannot “I line: limited limited palette of pink, green, and brown against a white back humans and animals have a breezy, caricaturelike style, but populate populate the backgrounds, and even animals like baby lambs with ducklings, and spotting various animals and machinery read aloud: see “You corn in a row / I see a big scarecrow.” new ground broken here. Digitally rendered, the loose-lined may be confused by familiar vocabulary used in new ways, as in ing this one bland barnyard. Its narrative has an equally dull sound. Ho-hum rhyming reports what mom and baby spot in scribbles. While there are scattered perky pages with contrast contrast pages with perky scattered are there While scribbles. spot-the-odd-one-out game with a play on those words. Using a Using words. those on play a with game spot-the-odd-one-out golden honey—a vanilla palette of listless, desaturated colors ground, each (mostly) double-page spread displays a group of the sentence, “You see so much from the car” paired the “You with sentence, a pic But window. train’s subway a out see to craning child the of ture that should be objectively adorable instead resemble shapeless shapeless resemble instead adorable objectively be should that they aren’t imbued with much charm. Stick-figure animals everyone will understand the frustration expressed in the next oft-repeated oft-repeated theme for the board-book and crew, there’s no an overly singsong flowrhythm effortlesslythat doesn’t when and color—a page of bright red apples opposite another of about the farmyard. Books about a day on the farm are an alongside an enthusiastic toddler. daubed in patches against stark white pages dominates, mak Can you tell which thing is not...?” you tell Can (extremely youthful) mother admiring scarecrows, playing Mom and toddler both present white. and toddler Mom LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE the puppet doesn’t collapse, it can’t swim out through the die- Courtney-Tickle, Jessica cut holes, nor explore in many different directions, either. The Illus. by the author cartoonish artwork is appealing; Little Fish’s undersea friends Big Picture/Candlewick (12 pp.) swim against a deep blue background punctuated by occasional $15.99 | Oct. 16, 2018 bubbles or underwater plants. The book ends happily, with a 978-1-5362-0311-0 tribute to Mom, “the one,” Little Fish admits, “I love the best.” Fun if not profound. (Board book. 1-3) The old-fashioned feel of this extra- large board book invites exploration of the natural world. FARM FLEET Four-line rhyming stanzas on each Coyle, Finn spread describe the winter woods. In the Illus. by Bassani, Srimalie first, “A little Christmas tree wakes up / Flowerpot Press (14 pp.) and sparkles in the light.” The tree is never harvested; its only $8.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 decorations are snow and birds. The sequence of events may 978-1-4867-1488-9 confuse young children. Initially, the pictures are full of snow. Series: Finn’s Fun Trucks By the third spread, the text and illustration hint at an early spring thaw, but on the next page snow starts to fall again, just Young heavy-equipment fanciers can in time for “this snowy Christmas night.” The book is pretty feast on this agriculturally oriented entry in the Finn’s Fun Trucks enough that this may not matter. Silver foil “snow” on the tree series. and snowflakes that decorate the otherwise matte pages invite Farmer Sandy introduces children to some of the heavy touch. Finding the animals, bugs, and plants hinted at in the gear used to grow and harvest the produce that they eat. Fol- text becomes a lift-the-flap game, with most spreads including lowing the same format as the other books in the series, Sandy four flaps. Some are obvious; some blend in with the illustra- observes that each machine has its own specific purpose and tions so effectively that the flaps can only be found by running then challenges readers to guess its function. Featured equip- a hand across the page. Some of the flaps are also quite small, ment includes a tractor, plow, spreader, harvester, and baler. making them difficult for tiny fingers to manipulate, but overall Each machine is named on verso and pictured opposite, with it is ideal for one-on-one reading and quiet conversation. three key components labelled; readers are asked to guess what The sense of wonder and awe this artistic board book each one does. The page with the diagram then folds out to evokes should not be limited to the Christmas season. show the equipment at work, with an explanation of its use. The (Board book. 2-5) simple, utilitarian artwork is easily interpreted, and the book introduces some useful industrial and agrarian vocabulary. The fold-out flaps will engage readers eager to see the machinery I AM LITTLE FISH! in action. “A plow attaches to the back of the tractor. It turns A Finger Puppet Book the soil over so crops will grow tall and healthy,” for example. Cousins, Lucy After presenting his farm fleet, Sandy, a white man with a gray Illus. by the author beard, asks, “Can you guess what they can do when they all work Candlewick (16 pp.) together?” Answer: “They can grow all kinds of great food.” The $12.99 | Dec. 11, 2018 simultaneously publishing Rapid Responders gives emergency 978-1-5362-0023-2 vehicles the same treatment. Series: Little Fish The lesson that a lot goes into producing the food we eat is a valuable one, and the trucks make it go down easy. There’s more puppetry than poetry in this slight but enter- (Board book. 2-4) (Rapid Responders: 978-1-4867-1487-2) taining underwater adventure. Little Fish is a colorful finger-puppet character who comes to life with a little help from the reader. The animated protagonist swims through the cover scene and seven double-page spreads of bright and simply rendered underwater scenes via a series of die-cut holes in the pages of the book. The rhymed text provides exposition if not much plot: “Hello! I am Little Fish, swimming in the sea. I love to splash and splish. Come and play with me.” The brightly hued finger puppet projects beyond the cover of the book and protrudes through each scenario within, as the cloth tube that invites fingertips to animate Little Fish is thick and stiff, resisting collapse. An odd consequence of that is that it seems to limit the finger puppet’s range of motion. Little Fish can be moved side to side or vertically, up and down, but as

110 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - Climb into My Lap: Lap: Climb into My 5) - A A preschool-age child adjusts to life (Board book. 6 mos. with a new baby in this emotionally sat Creative Editions/Creative Company Editions/Creative Creative (14 pp.) Dotlich, Rebecca Kai Rebecca Dotlich, $8.99 | Aug. 21, 2018 Aug. $8.99 | Illus. by Reagan, Susan by Reagan, Illus. 978-1-56846-321-6 YOU AND ME YOU 4) - Cooing comments about the new baby on the left-hand The importanceThe giving of child thepositive attention to A nice approach to the counting book that does well brown-skinned family. family. brown-skinned page are paired with somewhat disparaging observations from in such a lovely, sensitive package and featuring a loving, who may be feeling overshadowed by a new baby cannot be watercolors. watercolors. When the child proudly asserts, “I can tie all by with both the older sibling and new baby is an ideal setting for with the protagonist in the final picture does not look like the many readers may see the 10-dot dinosaur as a green horse, for instance. While this allows readers to interpret what they see, it could also be frustrating that the animals are not all immedi- myself,” those shoes family are myself,” on read-aloud A the wrong feet. isfying board book. if the baby has soft skin? The older sibling can count to nine! illustrated by Kathryn Brown (1998). It’s just the right length may throw readers when they notice that the woman reading grandmother portrayed five pages earlier. Maybe it’s mom? Maybe it’s grandmother portrayed five pages earlier. ture-book The reader. older sibling is beyond board-book age, The illustrations this capture story. the mood of the poem but overallabstractits ifevenillustrations perfectaren’ta take. overstressed, and it’s nice to have the reminder delivered colors help give context, as help colors give with context, the that glowworm appears on of dots, they are This abstract. works well for some but not all; of-factly points to actual skills and accomplishments. So what children will also miss the visual humor in Reagan’s realistic an entirely black background. Because the animals are made up made are entirelyanimals an the Because background. black ately identifiable. an older child in italics on the right. The older child matter- as indicated by the line, I “Yesterday lost two teeth.” Young for a board book, but the storyline is more suitable for a pic Dotlich’s Dotlich’s poem was originally published in , edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and , by Lee edited Bennett Hopkins Together to Read Poems First (Board book. 2 1 2 3 - - - (Novelty | 1 january 2019 | 111 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books Part Part guessing game, part counting Dots take on the shapes of animals Four Four vehicle-shaped board books in this progressive counting board book. in this progressive counting Series: Read & Ride Series: Read exercise, this oversized board book with Chronicle (32 pp.) 1 2 3 CARS & TRUCKS Deneux, Xavier Deneux, Chronicle (5 pp.) $22.99 | Oct. 9, 2018 Illus. by the author Illus. $15.99 | Sep. 11, 2018 $15.99 978-1-4521-7390-0 Illus. by Cummings, Troy by Cummings, Illus. 978-1-4521-6546-2 Contrasting, deeply saturated colors help give context. help Contrasting, colors deeply saturated 4) - Deneux’s palette is as the illustrations important as palette to dots. the Deneux’s A A police car, a taxi, a fire engine, and a recycling truck fit An original idea that’s not quite road ready. board book. 2 board but no distinct ethnicity. become: Three dots become a heavily stylized duck; five a horse; a five duck; stylized heavily a become dots Three become: here!”) followed by labels (“glass”; “paper”; “bin”) near the rel- packaged together with three road scenes invite young trans police police radio, rescuing a cat, etc., are various shades of brown portation play. enthusiasts to plain black space in the middle of the right-hand page. Pages road scenes decorated with stylized buildings, animals, and rather abstract example, for in toddlers. For the taxi book, one ing number. The The ing dots number. are covered by a solid-colored page with includes a raised, brightly colored numeral alongside its writ more vehicles. Even though the don’t have book-vehicles mov in place doesn’t fit easily into the cutout and will be quickly lost, quickly be will and cutout the easily into fit doesn’t place in making this package a The shelving cartoon nightmare. people ing wheels (just pictures of wheels), toddlers interested in might them as toys be than books. Each more little book has an introductory sentence (“Hurry! The recycling truck is almost shown driving the taxi, taking out the recycling, calling on a guess what the dots might become, a playful element for little ger book. When the books are removed, the cutout is just a to to the illustrations as the dots. Contrasting, deeply saturated ten ten form. Next to that are a series of dots in the - correspond to to 10. The introductory spread for each number and animal that frame the cutout open to create three different wordless together together like a simple puzzle in a cutout nestled in the big- ones with big imaginations. Deneux’s palette is as important extra-thick pages introduces animals, numerals, and counting of the labels is The “checkers.” front of each vehicle makes a convenient handhold for toddlers just learning to turn pages. evant objects in the illustrations. Some of the vocabulary is and nine a snake, for The example. structure invites readers to die-cut circles so that a flip of the page reveals what the dots However, the However, plastic cover that holds the small book-vehicles Sreenivasan’s illustrations are colorful, detailed, and authentic, and they carry the book. diwali

DO YOU KNOW A Indigenous, pre-European/Christian roots nor does the book SUPERHERO? actively distinguish between Día de Muertos and Halloween. Duopress Labs The first-person narration vacillates between child and adult Illus. by Escudero, Jesús perspectives. “We do all this to celebrate the beauty of life and Duo Press (22 pp.) death rather than mourn it.” Gutierrez’s mixed-media illustra- $7.95 | Sep. 4, 2018 tions are convulsive, crowded panes of frenetic activity. Exagger- 978-1-947458-24-6 ated facial features border on stereotypical caricatures—snouts and bug eyes abound. Contributing to the crowded page design Superhero community members are is the unfortunate choice of board rather than picture-book featured in this board book. format. Consequently, the initial perception is that this series Going beyond the usual suspects (firefighters, doctors), this is geared toward toddlers, when it is the school-age child who book nicely features some less-obvious superheroes: an author, would most benefit from the information in this book. a music teacher, and a physical therapist, to name a few. There Pass. (Board book. 4-7) is also the odd inclusion of parents who design toys as heroes, presumably because kids love toys, but it feels odd juxtaposed with the nurse and the firefighter. Just how exactly do “they DIWALI save the day, every day”? Each double-page spread features a Eliot, Hannah different superhero, generally following the same repeated text Illus. by Sreenivasan, Archana structure. The bright, neon-colored illustrations that accom- Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (24 pp.) pany each page of text feature the hero engaged in their work in $8.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 a child-friendly, animation-inspired style. There are nice little 978-1-5344-1990-2 touches of traditional superhero garb on each illustration, such Series: Celebrate the World as chest insignias, capes, and boots. While the featured superheroes are fairly diverse, some fulfill stereotypes (the author is Diwali, the festival of lights, a five- a white, bespectacled woman; the nurse, a black woman; the day celebration that has many different forms, is celebrated in zookeeper, a black man). A few of the characters are described different ways across India and in many other countries. as a mom or a dad, while others are not, which reads like a messy This board book cursorily presents the different rituals attempt to demonstrate that parents are superheroes, too. The associated with this celebration of the Hindu New Year, includ- concept of community helpers as heroes is a familiar one, and ing getting the house ready to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess while it’s nice that some atypical occupations are included, it’s of wealth; decorating the house with rangoli and diyas; and cel- not enough to make this one stand out. ebrating with family, friends, fireworks, and good food. The text A zippy art style doesn’t completely mitigate awkward is simple and gives only very basic information. “On the fifth choices, making this one to safely pass on. (Board book. 18 and final day of Diwali, we celebrate brothers and sisters. The mos-4) lifelong bond between siblings is special, and we honor that.” The illustrations show four different sets of siblings celebrating each other in different ways, none of which are mentioned in DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS the text, making it difficult for younger readers to understand Eliot, Hannah the complexity of the celebration. Sreenivasan’s illustrations Illus. by Gutierrez, Jorge are colorful, detailed, and authentic, and they carry the book. Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (24 pp.) They feature happy and smiling dark-haired people with a range $8.99 | Jul. 24, 2018 of skin tones, diverse in ethnicity and dress. In bright, vivid 978-1-5344-1515-7 colors, intergenerational families and friends from different Series: Celebrate the World regions come alive, dressed up in their colorful best, celebrating and enjoying the festival together in different ways. The board The traditions and history of one of format of this title does not match the age range and conceptual Mexico’s most important holidays are introduced in this latest level of the text. of Eliot’s Celebrate the World series. Amid inconsistencies of format and information, the From setting up the flower-festooned altars to decorating illustrations end up giving the most clarity about this festi- the calaveras, the preparations depicted involve entire com- val. (Board book. 4-8) munities over several weeks. Characters in cowboy hats, som- breros, and baseball caps place the final touches on skeletons in full lucha libre regalia or spangled mariachi outfits. However, instead of accurately using Mexico’s name for the holiday, Día de Muertos, Eliot uses the English back-translation, “Día de los Muertos,” as is common in the U.S. even though the story evi- dently takes place in Mexico. Also, aside from stating that the celebration “is an ancient tradition,” there is no mention of its

112 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult (Board book. WHAT’S INSIDE MY WHAT’S LUNCH BOX? LUNCH Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (12 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster Eliot, Hannah Eliot, $7.99 | Jul. 3, 2018 | Jul. $7.99 Illus. by Elio Illus. 978-1-5344-1594-2 8) - Lovely illustrations wasted on this misguided project. The first double-page spread features lunchboxes from While the book is undeniably playful, toddler readers Youngsters can see what their peers eat around the world. Youngsters 4) - book’s intended audience. With large blocks of explication on on explication of blocks large With audience. intended book’s butter–and-jelly butter–and-jelly sandwich and dinosaur-shaped chicken - ten boxes, boxes, for example, may contain simmered seaweed, kimchi, identifying any of these foods in the real world. pages give readers a closer look at dishes from Brazil, India, won’t come away from the experience with much hope of vibrant colors are fun to look at, but many foods may not look look not may foods many but at, look to fun are colors vibrant whole, oblong package includes a die-cut handle at the top to it, which neither the text nor the images—all of the people more appropriate audience. Still, readers may appreciate see- warmlying an important celebration and vibrantly portrayed. much like what the captions say they are; the stylized peanut- give it a lunchbox look and feel. give it a lunchbox tures dishes from the featured nation. South Korean lunch- in cartoons whimsical cheery, Elio’s roll”). “vegetable as terms, of Lunar New Year are as diverse as the Year of people Lunar who New celebrate every set, board-book the entirelyfor is unappealing it spread, each has a flap for readers open. to The subsequent eight cheese on the side.” Below each line, six or seven containers appear to be Asian—fully acknowledges. Also unclear is the and the format may make it equally unattractive to an older, around the globe arrayed in an arc over a smiling planet Earth; planet smiling a over arc an in arrayed globe the around to name One a and line few. Italy, of a rhyming couplet floats at the top of each page: China, “In some lunches are steamed and some are we / stir-fried. haveFrance, In a bit of fruit and appear with more flaps that opento reveal a variety of- signa and as gimbap are (glossed many parenthetically, non-English depict different people in every image. Indeed, observances ders on the American page come immediately to mind. The (Board book. 4 2 - - - | 1 january 2019 | 113 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 5) - The Celebrate the World series spot The Celebrate World the This board-book version of the Hans Hans the of version board-book This Series: Celebrate the World World the Series: Celebrate Series: Once Upon a World World a Upon Series: Once LUNAR NEW YEAR LUNAR Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (24 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster Eliot, Hannah Eliot, $8.99 | Dec. 11, 2018 Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (24 pp.) Schuster Little Simon/Simon & $8.99 | Dec. 18, 2018 Illus. by Chau, Alina by Chau, Illus. 978-1-5344-3303-8 THE LITTLE MERMAID Illus. by Ortiz, Nivea Illus. 978-1-5344-3575-9 Adapt. by Eliot, Hannah by Eliot, Adapt. Eliot’s Eliot’s adaptation eliminates some of the more-disturb- This board book blends expository text and first-person- Anotherformat-audience mismatch thefor Once Upon begin, we clean our homes—and ourselves!”), the illustrations love of a rather clueless prince. The Caribbean setting is a good a is setting Caribbean The prince. clueless loverather a of lush illustrations reflect her Puerto Rican heritage. The sea ject, including other names for the celebration, related cos lights Lunar New Year. lights Lunar New present. The text attempts to provide present. a broad look at the sub- plural narrative, introducing readers to the holiday. Chau’s witch, with her pointy nose, red lips, sharp-angled eyes, hoop not motivated by a desire for an immortalnot motivated soul, but the heroine room table, from fantasies of the past to dumplings of the masks that are part of carnival in Puerto Rico. However, the in the series, a picture-book larger, format would help this tale ing plot elements in Andersen’s original, making it feel much maid does not feel as though she’s walking on glass and she is mology, and historical background, as well as a more-personal mology, small trim size does a disservice to the art.The story has been simplified, but with fourto seven lines oftext still per too long for page,the board-book As audience. with other ittitles is still sacrifices her voice, her birth family, and her her and the for agency birth her family, voice, her stillsacrifices some consistent, monolithic group who participates in spe- a World series. (Boarda World book. 2 this version’s gorgeous original art. this version’s the narrator is—while the narrative indicates the of existence transitioning smoothly from a grand cityscape to the dining critique the subtext of the classic story even as they appreciate closer to the Disney version but with brown-skinned humans earrings, and colorful headwrap is reminiscent of the vejigante choice for a story in which the sea features prominently. Ortiz’s Ortiz’s prominently. features sea the storywhich a in for choice cific rituals ofcelebration (“Before the new year celebrations and merfolk. Once she’s been given her feet, the Little Mer discussion of traditions and practices. Yet it’s never clear it’s who discussion Yet of traditions and practices. distinctive, finely textured watercolor paintings add depth, Christian Andersen fairy set in the Caribbean. tale is Christian find a receptive audience of school-age children who are able to able are school-age who of children audience receptive a find PEPPA’S FIRST 100 WORDS though they might be stills from a vintage animated film. All eOne of this warmth however, is reined in by the unwieldy design. Scholastic (14 pp.) Though the cover proudly proclaims “26 lift-the-flaps inside!” $9.99 | Oct. 30, 2018 it’s too many to comfortably read with a lap-sit child, with 978-1-338-22877-9 flaps flying open unexpectedly and making it difficult to see the Series: Peppa Pig sweet horses in their entirety. Though the book’s flaps are overambitious, horse lov- With over 250 television episodes ers will be champing at the bit to meet these new farm featuring Peppa Pig airing on Nick Jr television stations, this friends. (Board book. 2-4) vocabulary board book will find an audience. The large trim size (nearly 10 inches square) allows for plenty of space for seven categories, each with 17 to 23 words. Many BABY’S FIRST HASHTAG are compound words or phrases (“sand castle”; “party hat”) and/ Feschuk, Scott & Allan, Susan or words not found on standard beginning reader word lists Douglas & McIntyre (28 pp.) (“scooter”; “cash register”). Most of the groupings are logical $12.95 | Oct. 13, 2018 (Daddy and Mummy Pig are “In my house,” for instance), but 978-1-77162-191-5 placing “Granny Pig” and “Grandpa Pig” “In the garden” feels arbitrary. Presumably, they could just as easily be found “At the Here’s a book that is as much fun park” or “At the supermarket.” Each spread includes two to four for the parents as it is for their infant or sturdy flaps that hide pictures and more vocabulary. Occasion- toddler. ally, what is hidden defies logic. For example, moving the unla- “A is for #artisan...whatever that means. / B is for #beard... beled drawbridge on a “castle” on the “Playtime” pages reveals and two-hundred-buck jeans.” This abecedary presents hipster- a “dinosaur,” but the label is outside the castle. Why is there themed words for each letter of the alphabet, with interesting a single “banana” behind a full “basket”? Librarians will suck photographs and entertaining rhyming couplets—one line for their teeth when they see that the “book” flap lifts to reveal a each letter, and one letter and photograph on each page. The green “marker.” Still, the “spider” behind the “picture” hung on words selected poke gentle fun at the vocabulary and lifestyle the wall is a mordant touch. Since the popular pig is featured that are popular with a section of today’s young parents (“glu- multiple times on every spread, these details won’t matter to ten,” “kale,” “followers,” “plaid,” “selfie”)...and soon to be famil- Peppa’s fans. iar to their children as well. “M is for #manbun...somehow Fine for Peppa’s partisans, but similar and better- trendy still. / N is for #Netflix...you’re too young to ‘chill.’ ” designed vocabulary books abound. (Picture book. 1-3) Photographs show hipster parents, some with tattoos and/or long hair, with beards abounding. Although some of the photographs feature children and adults of color, well over half of HORSE TALES them contain people with fair skin and fair hair, which dimin- Fehr, Molly ishes the impact of this book. This is not written as a book for Illus. by the author kids, although infants and toddlers will enjoy seeing the faces Chronicle (10 pp.) of people while sitting on the laps of their favorite adults, who $12.99 | Sep. 11, 2018 will be chuckling or maybe even laughing out loud. And that is 978-1-4521-7088-6 what the young toddler will remember—the contagious joy of Series: Double Booked! the adult reading the book, linking reading to fun. This gift book for babies and new parents will have Meet various horses and hear their stories in this lift-the- both readers and listeners laughing. (Board book. 1-5) flap ode to all things equine. Cut into a barn shape, this board book splits down the middle so that the barn doors open outward. On each side is a stall with door-shaped flaps. Through brief, somewhat stiff biographies, readers meet 12 of the (fictional) horses with surprisingly variant stories, from Clyde the firefighter to Biscuit, the itty-bitty pony who prides in taking children “on their first ride.” Each stall displays eclectic paraphernalia that reflects the horse’s particular backstory. Circus horse Nutmeg’s stall showcases fancy feathers, framed photos of her glory days, and lift-the-flap stall doors painted in circus tent stripes that reveal Nutmeg herself, prancing and costumed. Though there’s no plot, there’s a cozy summation as readers meet new mother Maple on the final page, ruminating about which path her own tiny foal might take. Quaint, pastel-colored illustrations feel as

114 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - - 3) - (Hello (Hello Farm!: 5)

- 2) - 0469 -

; Neighborhood My the 5235 - 1 - (Baby book. 6 mos. Vibrant Vibrant color, diverse people, and ! Farm and Hello Series: Indestructibles Series: Indestructibles BUSY CITY BUSY in illustration and text, but they but text, and illustration in Busy City $5.95 | Sep. 4, 2018 $5.95 Illus. by Frost, Maddie by Frost, Illus. 978-1-5235-0468-8 Workman (12 pp.) Workman 1;My Neighborhood: 978 Neighborhood: 1;My - 0467 - 5235 - 1 Each of the five double-pagefive the con- of Each short this in book spreads This detailed book will be best enjoyed one-on-one by A cute-as-a-button reminder that growth comes in - households with new baby siblings. (Board book. 6 mos. babies and babies of color. babies and babies of locations of the city shown, including a residential neighbor hood, a construction site, and a city park. The Indestructibles kids to gray-haired older adults, and there is one woman in hijab. riding She’s a bus, a but young readers will also see women publishing titles include various skin colors and hair colors and of a variety of ages,of variety a of and from colors hair and colors skin various wisely chose children of a variety of skin tones and ethnici- presents single-page scenes, single-pagescenes, presents Neighborhood My Furthermore, nity. making for busy and confusing spreads. making for busy and confusing sequential ages and stages, this should be of special use in two are very similar to to verysimilar are two tains one sentence of spare text introducing the - action (“Traf tion workers. Cartoonish illustrations are colorful, vivid, and tle” are written next to the person or thing making that sound. talk about with a lap-sitting infant or toddler in the different ties, with a just about even distribution of white-presenting engaged adult-baby duos. onomatopoeic onomatopoeic words as “chomp,” “swoosh,” “clank,” and “rus are not printed on board pages but on thin, flexible pages that are “chew rip proof, non-toxic proof, and 100% washable.” Co- assorted sounds welcome infants and toddlers to the metropolis. the to toddlers and infants welcome sounds assorted as a firefighter, a policeofficer, a bus driver, and as construc do not include onomatopoeia, which seems a missed opportu- detailed. Cats, dogs, and birds appear on most pages, and such fic zooms by”; “People shop and eat”).People presented are of There are many interesting details to point out, and identify, 978 - - - watch me grow! me watch | 1 january 2019 | 115 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books button reminder that growth comes that growth reminder button - a 2) in sequential agesin sequential and stages. - - as - Developmental milestones modeled A A multiethnic series of babies and Series: Baby Firsts Series: Baby Firsts Series: Baby Firsts Series: Baby Firsts WATCH ME GROW! WATCH BABY DRESS UP BABY Flowerpot Press (20 pp.) Press Flowerpot Flowerpot Press (20 pp.) (20 pp.) Press Flowerpot Flowerpot Press Flowerpot Press $6.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 7, Aug. $6.99 | $6.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 7, Aug. $6.99 | 978-1-4867-1462-9 978-1-4867-1461-2 A cute A Each spread shows two winsome babies of the same age, While babies will always enjoy seeing images of other While not up to Anne Geddes’ level of creativity, the cos Anne Geddes’ level of creativity, While not up to Standing is labeled at 12 months and walking is at 15 months by charmingly photographed babies may reassure new parents, tots, the whole project feels like what’s routinely found on light brown skin in a pith helmet posing with a box camera look older than the 15-month-old toddlers on the next spread spread next the on toddlers 15-month-old the than older look reotyping boot. to (Board book. 6 mos. props nearby. Laudably, just over half of the tots appear to be be to appear tots the of half over just Laudably, nearby. props picked picked the upper end of the age range for each milestone. which gives the image a spacious look, but a few look as if who are walking with help.) Exclamatory in a large text clear roots of safari in its modern, understanding, Western this set in large, black or white type floats at the top of the page. months earlier, a simplification that months is earlier, understandable given ing with a spoon as well as gross motor skills. The editors socialmedia afteror on Oct. 31,with someunfortunate ste they were staged in a photographer’s studio with copious tumes range from the impromptu (a white baby playing with tumes range from baby playing with the impromptu (a white toddlers toddlers are dressed up and photographed in various outfits, the format. These babies’ the behaviorsformat. include drawing and eat though babies can actually reach these markers up to three type on the upper-left page describes a behavior while the typical age for each skill is highlighted in a quarter circle children of including color, “Princess” and One “Dinosaur.” crocheted crocheted snail outfit). A simple, one- or two-word caption on the lower-right-hand corner. The editors seem to have capturing them milestone by milestone. They are almost on their own look slightly panicked. (Curiously, they also and a large dog wearing a fake lion’s mane. Given the colonial colonial the Given mane. lion’s fake a wearing dog large a and a toy saxophone is a “musician”) through the store-bought and toddlers will in the pictures. see themselves and toddlers stand to beginning just 1-year-olds the though smiling, always feels like a very indeed. feels like poor choice dubious inclusion—“Safari Guide”—presents a toddler with from a bear to a watermelon. from a bear to (the iconic pumpkin Halloween to the get-up) homemade (a Many of the babies are on backgrounds, photographed white Many Slight? Right. But fun? A ton! creature vs. teacher

CREATURE VS. TEACHER Their tongues catch snowflakes as they drift down, their boots A Book of Rhyme sink in the snow, and they ride down a slope on a sled. As a child Fuller, T. Nat peeks out from a snowdrift the book declares, “It’s winter!” Illus. by Meyer, Alex Eben Sweet and attractive but not much more. (Board book. 1-3) abramsappleseed (16 pp.) (Winter Babies: 978-1-68263-067-9) $7.99 | Jul. 24, 2018 978-1-4197-3155-6 LULLABY & GOOD NIGHT Even the most studious kids know that all work and no play Illus. by Garland, Sally makes Jack a dull boy. Flowerpot Press (20 pp.) This visually arresting, rhymed board book may be a quick $7.99 | Oct. 16, 2018 read, but it says a lot with few words: roughly one word per page, 978-1-4867-1546-6 in fact. Caregivers will recognize the setup immediately—a day in the life of the eponymous Teacher, a bespectacled kid in a A board-book collection of familiar, lab coat with fuchsia, Einstein-esque hair, poring over formu- classic lullabies and children’s rhymes. lae and experiments, and the Creature, a playful, green colos- Garland’s illustrations of a darling bunny family accom- sus that looks like a friendly version of Frankenstein’s monster. pany this set of childhood favorites, from “Rock-a-Bye Baby” The stylized, colorful illustrations propel the story, told in to “Hush, Little Baby.” Two original rhymes that share the rhymed couplets presented over a series of two-page vignettes. book’s title are included as bookends to the others, both to “Book,” reads a drawing of the Teacher, head buried in a tome. the tune of “Hush Little Baby.” These two are, frankly, unnec- “Look!” yells the Creature, while showing off their juggling skills. essary additions, with awkward lines that pale in comparison Unfortunately, their efforts go unnoticed. Similarly, when the with the others. Because the lullabies are well-known, the Creature invites the Teacher to go fly a “kite,” it never breaks watercolor-and-ink illustrations really take center stage. Each the latter’s concentration; the Teacher continues feverishly spread shows the bunny mother and her two little bunnies to “write.” When the ever hopeful Creature suggests, “Dance,” progressing closer and closer to bedtime, reading (and acting though, the Teacher gives a glance and finally decides a recre- out) the rhymes as they go. There is excellent use of repeated, ation break is in order. Four scenes of silliness and play follow, echoing images, including the tree and its famous rock-a-bye at the end of which the Creature must “rest” while the Teacher branches and the moon that the cow jumped over. The animals picks up the book again. The rhyming text is a great way to get of “Hey, Diddle, Diddle” are adorable and make for a painting kids experimenting with sounds, and the playful, cool artwork that readers might wish they could hang on the wall. The col- suits the themes perfectly. lection could nicely be used as a bedtime book for young read- Slight? Right. But fun? A ton! (Board book. 6 mos.-3) ers or simply as a one-poem-at-a-time resource—just be sure to skip the first and last. This one’s all about the charming illustrations; readers AUTUMN BABIES will enjoy the familiar lullabies, but it’s not a seminal col- Galbraith, Kathryn O. lection. (Board book. 6 mos.-4) Illus. by Pons, Adela Peachtree (20 pp.) $6.95 | Sep. 1, 2018 THE 12 PETS OF CHRISTMAS 978-1-68263-066-2 Garland, Taylor Series: Babies in the Park LB Kids/Little, Brown (24 pp.) $7.99 | Oct. 30, 2018 A group of toddlers and their pup 978-0-316-42082-2 enjoy the change of seasons playing in a park. Series: Celebrate the Season Colorful stylized illustrations depict a park with lollipop- shaped trees, shades of red, yellow, and orange setting the scene: No partridges, no pear trees—just “It’s autumn in the park.” The text that runs along the bottoms cute pets in Santa hats in this board-book adaptation of the tra- of the pages on a beige-colored strip describes the illustrations: ditional carol. “Leaves swirl. / Acorns fall. // Squirrels dig” (though this particu- The animals, one set per spread, are photographed lar squirrel is just holding an acorn). Then readers see a group against white backgrounds. Against a red background oppo- of toddlers—one black, one brown, one olive-skinned, and one site or above, the words in gold mostly follow the expected white—playing. They “toss,” “stomp,” “roll,” “romp,” and play format. “On the first day of Christmas, / Santa gave to me / with a puppy. The verbs imply action; the illustrations, though, A SLEEPY LITTLE PUPPY.” From “2 FLUFFY CATS” on are somewhat static. The book concludes with “It’s autumn!” up, the formula is set, varying only in the large white numeral, as a child peeks out from a pile of leaves. Following the same the adjective, and the name of the animal. This arrangement format, the companion book, Winter Babies, is set in the same makes it easy to use the book as a simple counting activity. park, and the same children are now playing in the wintry scene. The vocabulary is sometimes challenging, with “3 SQUIRMY

116 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - (Board book. , Little Star reiter My You’re This board book invites young read- This heart-shaped board book offers ers to think about the many ways a child can be. Gravel, Elise Gravel, $8.99 | Oct. 9, 2018 Groom, Juliet The Innovation Press (22 pp.) Press The Innovation Illus. by the author Illus. $8.99 | Sep. 1, 2018 978-1-943147-40-3 ALWAYS IN MY HEART ALWAYS Tiger Tales (12 pp.) Tales Tiger YOU CAN BE YOU Illus. by Hahessy, Roisin by Hahessy, Illus. 978-1-68010-557-5 The message of embracing who you are is a popular one in Adult readers and their young listeners will find this “You and “You me = we” ungrammatically begins and ends this 6) - book best used as a conversation springboard. bubbles that add “oops!” “sorry” and “toot!” But most impor bow and make it easy for little fingersto turn the pages.Key priately priately embellished to match its subject; “artsy” is rendered in parenthetical “(sometimes)” keeps it light, along with speech phrases keeps phrasesthe (if meter consistent keeps the grammar is occasion- with me—You’re here in my heart.”The seven pastel with pages me—You’re are hearts decorative in highlighted are vignettes smaller and words vague terms a temporary separation of a caregiver and child— interact, interact, and so on—“(except mean or rude, of course).” Stand- ing out from the white background, on each page a wacky and shaped format. A doting owl tells an owlet, “There’s nothing sweet paean to love. A rotund penguin with pink cheeks assures cheeks pink with penguin rotund A love. to paean sweet or words of repetition Occasional Grandpa. with day a spending giggles in young readers; for example on the “Smelly” page, a the form of humorous cartoonlike figures representing some of the form of humorous cartoonlike the many silly—and not so silly—ways a kid can feel, behave, tantly, the tantly, author concludes, just being “YOURSELF” is best. though none have visible disabilities. the caregiver riding a bus or train (perhaps to work) or the child the or work) to (perhaps train or bus a riding caregiver the contemporary children’s books; this latest offering comes in exaggerated cartoon is accompanied by a single word: “funny,” cut in successively larger hearts to form a pleasing pastel rain- on companion each volume, A page. or apart, in rain or sunshine. Each page describes in rather ates ates the same message of unqualified love using a layered star- ally, the author adds some side comments ally, that are sure to elicit ally not) while emphasizing the core message: “You’re right here right “You’re message: core the emphasizing while not) ally an idealized model of unconditional parental love. an idealized model of unconditional a baby penguin that love is whether constant, they are together fancy letters, and “dirty” drips small blobs of mud. Occasion- The children illustrated represent different skin and hair colors, colors, hair and skin different represent illustrated children The 4 “sensitive,” “grumpy,” “smelly,” “caring,” etc. Each “caring,” word is appro- “smelly,” “sensitive,” “grumpy,” - - | 1 january 2019 | 117 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 3) - Intrepid Intrepid Little Boat encounters pint- LITTLE BOAT Chronicle (22 pp.) Gomi, Taro Gomi, $6.99 | Aug. 21, 2018 Aug. $6.99 | Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-4521-6301-7 4) - (Board book. 1 For For animal-loving toddlers learning to count at Christ Here’s Here’s an author who understands how much bravery it With this masterful board book, little listeners are in backward countdown appears. Somewhat confusingly, the know the original song. The final page is the only place the he’s gently he’s advised and reassured by a narrator who sure makes for some smooth sailing. (Board book. mos. 18 mas. perils that will feel quite familiar to most toddlers: a crowded palette palette of blue, teal, and rose. Our hero’s white hull, jaunty tri- wouldn’t wouldn’t sit still for it, especially since they are unlikely to not the original “sleepy little puppy.” not the original “sleepy made of basic shapes, rustically outlined and perfectly personi- ment. Although the small ship is ostensibly on his journey alone, journey his on ostensibly is ship small the Although ment. in with a much bigger freighter, concern about a scary storm, sized obstacles before returning safely to his family. sized obstacles before returning safely to shipping lane where he fears being bumped, a frightening run- the critters is fairly straightforward (none are hiding). Weary tive recitation that normally followers each stanza. Toddlers takes to takes be little in a big world. Little Boat floats through mild teeny-tiny teeny-tiny against the waves, but the clouds are so sweet-faced ted and eminently charming. ted caregivers may be thankful the designers skipped the cumula- everyone, including the audience, knows that “Little Boat is angular flag, and cheek blush-pink–dotted are both easily spot and the waters so gently rolling that it’s clear there’s no real and toddlers will similarly bask in his feeling of - accomplish and loneliness. Little Boat’s anxiety is apparent, as he’s pictured he’s as apparent, is anxiety Boat’s Little loneliness. and danger. danger. After he successfully navigates the challenges, Little fied with paint-dabbed faces, all set against atonally pleasing fine!” The spare art is expressive in its simplicity, with ships HAMSTERS,” HAMSTERS,” “6 KITTENS SNUGGLING,” “7 PUGS Boat’s Boat’s parents congratulate him on his brave solo expedition, A-PLAYING,” and “8 A-PLAYING,” HEDGEHOGS HIDING.” Counting “sleepy little puppy” shown there is the pup on the cover and you can’t do” and that the baby is the “warmest,” “coziest,” too placidly after such a lively beginning. Kids will enjoy the “comfiest,” “cutest,” “smartest,” “sweetest,” “sparkliest,” “bright- wry second-person narration and animated scenes of monkeys est” star. swinging from chandeliers and having feathery pillow fights, A worthy message that children need to hear marred but it’s the grown-ups who have woken, sore and disoriented by saccharinity and clunky grammar. (Board book. 6 mos.-3) in floor tents of their own, who might have the most rueful of (You’re My Little Star: 978-1-68010-558-2) smiles. The predominantly white background sets off the thick- lined cartoon illustrations and draws attention to the brown and tan monkeys and the white girl’s gingery hair. Clever visual LET’S PLAY SOCCER gimmicks—cameos from other animals from the When Your... Hall, Nancy series, books with such titles as The Count of Monkey Cristo—all Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (16 pp.) add to the general sense of silliness. $7.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 Preschoolers will giggle, and many a tired caregiver 978-1-5344-3136-2 will secretly rejoice in knowing that other families also Series: Let’s Play struggle with bedtime-averse monkeys. (Board book. 2-4) A child’s first introduction to soccer in a board-book format, shaped like a HELLO KNIGHTS! soccer ball. Holub, Joan Each page of simple text presenting basic terminology is Illus. by Dickason, Chris accompanied by photographs of multiethnic children engaged Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (26 pp.) in playing soccer along with a close-up of a referee and a dia- $8.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 gram of the 11 team positions on the field. The photographs 978-1-5344-1868-4 are well-designed, visually conveying the meaning of the text Series: A Hello Book (for “two teams,” two young players, one wearing a red jersey and one in blue, are pictured; the page explaining that hands are In this rhyming board book, knights meet dragons and not used in the sport shows a close-up of players’ shoes). Action become friends after an almost-battle between the two is shots picture the free kick/penalty kick and corner kick. Dia- defused by silly undergarments. grams of the field and player positions as well as some of the Readers first meet the knights as they’re attending rules will be obscure for the audience: “Sometimes a player wins the queen and the king, marching, and guarding the castle. a FREE KICK or a PENALTY KICK. / Sometimes a player When dragons approach ready to fight, the knights halt takes a CORNER KICK.” Children held in the laps of enthu- the hostilities by raising the king’s underwear on a flagpole. siastic, knowledgeable adults will fare best, and those who are Laughter ensues at the silliness, and the knights and drag- lucky enough to play in leagues for the very young will be able ons become friends when they start a party that readers find to integrate the information. under a nifty, crenellated double foldout. Holub’s rhyming Colorful, informative introduction to soccer. (Board couplets are easy to read and have a rhythmic quality that book. 2-4) feels almost like a classic epic poem. Dickason’s cartoony, detailed illustrations with comic-book influences will appeal to younger readers. The bold, brightly colored spreads illus - WHEN YOUR MONKEYS trating “Hello dragons!” and “Goodbye dragons” stand out WON’T GO TO BED as the clearest and show admirable restraint. Details such as Hill, Susanna Leonard the king’s tattoos are a fun wink to adult readers. Preschool- Illus. by Wiseman, Daniel ers will giggle at the king’s undies flying high and will also Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (26 pp.) feel relieved at the peaceful, happy resolution to the book’s $7.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 climactic clash. While the story is a bit nonsensical—why do 978-1-5344-0565-3 the knights decide to fly the underwear on a flagpole?—the Series: When Your… overall silliness will appeal to younger readers who won’t mind the plot holes. A clever child uses sneaky tactics to A goofy story and zippy illustrations make this a nice- lull two energetic monkeys to sleep. enough book but not a must-have. (Board book. 2-3) Charged with getting her recalcitrant monkeys off to dreamland, a resourceful young girl concocts a series of games (go upstairs “without touching the floor!”), tactics (pretend to yawn so the monkeys will too), and projects (build a cozy tent in order to entice them into slumber) to accomplish the nightly ritual of bath, teeth brushing, stories, and bed. Although the girl eventually prevails, it’s not before she too conks out on the bedroom floor with the monkeys, an ending that drifts off a tad

118 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult (Board

3) - school comics school - Series: Girls Who Code Series: Girls BABY CODE! BABY Penguin Workshop (14 pp.) Workshop Penguin Horning, Sandra Horning, $7.99 | Jul. 17, 2018 17, | Jul. $7.99 Illus. by Crowton, Melissa Illus. 978-0-399-54257-2 3) - Using retro-styleUsing art and coding syntax well beyond a - tod To becomeTo coders, babies need to play with sequences, Another book that aims to jump-start toddlers’ STEM A mismatch in every (Board way. book. 2 book. 1 book marketed under the Who Girls Code umbrella will not left open for “You!” understand how these devices work. Encouraging young girls patterns, language, and logic—but not this book. parallel constructs. The problem is that babies, no matter how how matter no babies, that is problem The constructs. parallel who are still puzzling out the physical mechanics of the world are stillwho the world mechanics of physical out the puzzling world before they can begin to understand command language. command understand to begin can they before world ring[ ]”) is simply clutter on the page and will not help babies much we want them to, cannot yet comprehend such abstract such abstract cannot yet comprehend want them to, much we selected selected real-world examples of coding are valid. Baby telling to to explore technology is certainly a worthy goal, but a board to to be cute, the phrase “This little scientist...” introduces the careers. The pale-skinned girl clad in polka- languagecomplex of code. of computerized toys (“train.go[ ]”) or tools (“repeat 3: phone. concepts. concepts. Girls (and boys) need real experience with the real color, and color, people with disabilities The depicted. art, like oth- caricatures bobbleheaded features series, Little This the in ers of each figure in boldcolors. The finaltwo pages present17 a dog what to do and code telling computers what to do are additional scientists in portraiture from throughout history and around the world and a brief caption, with a blank space do the job. dler’s dler’s comprehension, this board book tries to simplify the dot onesies is The certainlycoding. of principles the understand can she mean cute, doesn’t maybe even gifted, but that figures and has the effect of demeaning thewomen, people of The insertion of speech bubbles with “real code” near pictures pictures near code” “real with bubbles speech of insertion The - - hello ninjas! | 1 january 2019 | 119 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books game display type,game and flying projectiles. - 4) - Series: This Little Series: Series: A Hello Book Hello A Series: HELLO NINJAS! HELLO Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (26 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (26 pp.) Schuster Little Simon/Simon & Holub, Joan Holub, Holub, Joan Holub, $7.99 | Sep. 25, 2018 | Sep. 25, $7.99 $8.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 Aug. $8.99 | THIS LITTLE SCIENTIST Illus. by Roode, Daniel by Roode, Illus. Illus. by Dickason, Chris Illus. 978-1-5344-0108-2 978-1-5344-1869-1 A Discovery Primer classic video (Board book. 2 Illustrationshomage an fun, pure are old to and arcade games, with spiky speech bubbles, motion lines, bubbles, motion speech with spiky games, and arcade Crafty ninjas take on both math and samurai masters to win to masters samurai and math both on take ninjas Crafty Each historical or modern figure is featured on their own Ten young Ten ninjas and their plucky Siamese cat are hot on An introduction to 10 scientists for the youngest readers. An introduction to Wannabe ninjas will flip over this board book’s cool bubbles, motion lines, classic video-game display type, and fly- narrative. vibe, awesomely frenetic art, and dual math and sharing rhyming couplets on the verso, and the facing page features ninjas chop! Five do spin kicks!” It’s refreshing to see a fairly ninjas’ smooth moves turnsalad taco for into tacos the coveted ing more information about their work but often written at mism. With its relentless rhythm and With enough punctuation mism. that ing projectiles that suggest that ninjas will “crash” or “swoop” in “swoop” or “crash” will ninjas suggestthat that projectiles ing in each group is challenging. Illustrations are pure fun, an hom- strained, forced, and often doesn’t scan (for Katherine - John son: “This little scientist got the math right / to help NASA ylla Merian and particle physicist Sau Lan The Wu. verse is grown-ups can really ham it up, it’s a blast to read aloud. a blast to grown-ups can really ham it up, it’s the scientist in action and a caption of a sentence or two offer two or sentence a of caption a and action in scientist the ton and Albert Einstein, but women and scientists of color the bright, complementary color scheme enhances their dyna- the trail of some tasty grub before they lose it to a rival gang capacity. capacity. The usual suspects are here, including Isaac New can also be found, such as naturalist and painter Maria Sib- conceptually sophisticated math board book, though the ninjas the though book, board math sophisticated conceptually occasionally clump so tightly that distinguishing how many are everyone a to savor, meal that unmasks a racially diverse group of boys and the girls. rollickingUnderlying adventure is a math component about fact families, with ninjas dividing into dif- of kid samurais and their petulant pup. Chaos ensues until the a level far beyond the board-book audience’s developmental astronauts launch outer space flight”).In an evident attempt at any second. The contrast of the black-suited ninjas against age to old-school comics and arcade games, with spiky speech a tasty taco treasure.a tasty taco double-page spread, which includes a close-up portrait and ferent equations that equal 10: On a lone fold-out page, “Five Few sights can compete with a hairless, newborn aardvark sleeping peacefully against its mother’s belly. fiona’s friends

FIVE SILLY GHOSTS a cow chew her cud only makes the grass in her mouth (which is Houghton Mifflin Harcourt not a cud) wiggle a tiny bit. The art of both offerings is similar Illus. by Kushnir, Hilli even though it is by two different creators, employing soft tones HMH Books (12 pp.) and rounded lines to create big-eyed, friendly creatures. $6.99 | Jul. 17, 2018 Endearingly playful. (Board book. 1-3) 978-1-328-86659-2

A large peekaboo on the cover reveals FIONA’S FRIENDS five friendly ghosts for toddlers to count in this unscary twist on Hutton, John the traditional fingerplay “Five Little Pumpkins.” blue manatee press (14 pp.) Kushnir substitutes ghosts that “float by” for the usual $7.99 | Sep. 1, 2018 pumpkins sitting on the gate. The second line remains, “There 978-1-936669-68-4 are witches in the air,” but the third ghost adds “Boo” to the usual “I don’t care.” The lines for the fourth and fifth ghost Fiona, the photogenic baby hippo, are similarly altered, but the final line returns to the satisfying returns with a menagerie of baby animal “ ‘Wooooooo,’ went the wind, and out went the lights” of the friends. original. The revised rhymes work reasonably well, though care- Although Fiona’s fabulous face graces only the cover and givers may struggle to get the original verse out of their minds. three interior pages of this compact, sturdy board book, the pul- The ghosts are translucent gray instead of white but still stand chritudinous pachyderm’s eponymous friends provide plenty of out against nighttime scenes rendered in dark purple, green, interest for animal-loving tots and toddlers. Our hippo heroine’s and orange. Each ghost is dressed for Halloween with dis- youthful playmates represent 10 different species and include a tinct costumes: kitty, pirate, witch, clown, and king. The three baby rhinoceros, a red panda, a takin (a Himalayan gnu goat), a witches have green and yellow faces. Typical Halloween icons manatee, a giraffe, a flamingo, an aardvark, a tiger, a cheetah, (yellow moon, jack-o’-lantern, candy bowl, bat, cat, and candles) and a gorilla. As in Fiona’s previous board-book outing, Fiona’s revealed in well-placed cutouts on each page hint at what is to Feelings, the photographs from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical come and remind children of what came before. The cutouts Garden’s collection are lovingly curated and thoroughly charm- also serve as handholds for little fingers just learning to turn ing. The text is simple, with each animal’s name and species in pages. one line of a rhymed couplet: “Fiona the hippo loves to play. / Useful for counting practice and where simple, sturdy Let’s meet some of her friends today! // Kendi the rhino, brave Halloween board books are needed. (Board book. 6 mos.-3) and strong. / Cora the giraffe, twisty and long.” It’s not Shake- speare, but it should delight youngsters by capitalizing on their natural fascination with exotic fauna. While Fiona is clearly a BABY ANIMALS star in her own right, the other animal babies in this volume Illus. by Huang, Yu-hsuan are equally irresistible. Few sights can compete with a hairless, Auzou Publishing (10 pp.) newborn aardvark sleeping peacefully against its mother’s belly. $9.99 | Oct. 9, 2018 A winning and wonderful way to foster a child’s fascina- 978-2-7338-5915-5 tion for wildlife. (Board book. 6 mos.-3) Series: My First Interactive Board Book

Little fingers can make young - crit SHARE THIS BOOK ters grow and play by sliding relatively-sturdy tabs and panels. Hutton, John On the cover, a lion cub grows into an adult male lion with Illus. by Brown, Christina a full mane and a tuft at the end of his tail with a right swipe blue manatee press (14 pp.) of a tab. Most of the internal pages follow a similar pattern. $7.99 | Sep. 1, 2018 First, readers are introduced to each baby animal’s home or 978-1-936669-67-7 environment on the verso; the interactive feature appears on the recto, often with a finger-sized hole in the panel for ease Caregivers are encouraged to read of sliding, with a sentence of descriptive text floating above it. with their babes. The cleverest gimmick is a nested double panel that pulls out “On your lap, snug and warm, / every day since I was born.” from the right-hand page so a young snake can grow longer. The So open the uneven rhymes that encourage family bonding final double-page spread, which reviews what has come before through books. Author Hutton is a pediatrician, and he imparts and introduces brand-new concepts, includes four flaps and sage early-literacy advice within the pages of the book and in a four panels with simple queries and captions. A companion note to caregivers on the back cover. Brown’s art, which only title, On the Farm, illustrated by Mélanie Combes, is format- uses pink, blue, black, white, and gray and instantly recalls ted identically and introduces youngsters to chickens, pigs, and the work of LeUyen Pham, shows both the joys and the some- more. Readers can shear the wool off a sheep with a single swipe. times-less-than-joyful realities of reading with the very young. Some of the features are a bit more subtle, as the panel to make The most delightful spread depicts a hulking, beleaguered,

120 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - (Board book. 3) - Cartoon Cartoon faces with a variety of One on each recto, nine different might be causing “the face.” expressions invite readers to guess what WHY THE FACE? Phaidon (32 pp.) $14.95 | Aug. 13, 2018 Aug. $14.95 | Jullien, Jean Jullien, Illus. by the author Illus. 978-0-7148-7719-8 Presenting nonfiction in a fun and interesting manner Witty, smart, and funny—kids will love it! 5) - keep kids engaged. (Board book. 1 by them.) board The book. gift here is the fold-out page, as it allows chil- for our youngest readers, this delightful board book will page-filling, boldfaced question“WHY FACE? THE on the per sense. “My eyes see... / something round.” On the verso, the verso, the On round.” something / see... eyes “My sense. per with spirals for eyes? A collection of electronic screens along with a plea for “FIVE MORE MINUTES!” Allowing for dif- varies with each page turn. nose “My smells... / a yummy treat” with all the clues shown before in silhouette presented in full very quirky looks. Each face is accompanied by the recurring readers to distinguish. The final double-page spread shows ranging from light brown to dark brown) sport distinctive and multiethnic children enjoying the protagonist’s birthday party, succinctly expresses the contradictory feelings: “OOH COOL! shows popcorn, which may be the only silhouette difficult for gusted—reveal gusted—reveal the same answer: bugs. The accompanying text the gatefold pages beneath the faces in this sturdily constructed constructed sturdily this in faces the beneath pages gatefold the tions between children and the adult page and revealing readers the The answer. answers before are as distinc unfolding tive and quirky as the faces. The answer to a scrunched-up opposite opposite page. The answer to each can be found by unfolding elephant’s backside with a swarm of flies around itto a shoe— child’s eyes child’s are open wide, and on the recto are the silhouettes of balloons. Most of the objects in silhouette are simple and color and labeled. color accompanied accompanied by “WHOA! THAT STINKS.” And the face ferences ferences in attitudes, two different faces—one one happy, dis repelled is one masculine the while bugs, the by delighted is face dren time to use their imaginations and encourages - conversa face is revealed to be a collection of smelly objects—from an familiar and are shown on a colored, patterned background that background patterned colored, a on shown are and familiar faces (with different hairdos and colors and different skin tones tones skin different and colors and hairdos different (with faces / EWW GROSS!” (In an extra-delightful touch, the feminine 3 - | 1 january 2019 | 121 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 3) - A A bear and a chickaree enjoy small 2) - (2017), So this Big! Yosemite board book Series: ROYGBaby Series: ROYGBaby blue manatee press (14 pp.) blue manatee SURPRISE! EARS, NOSE, EYES... SO SMALL! YOSEMITE treasures in Yosemite National Park. National Yosemite treasures in $7.99 | Sep. 4, 2018 $7.99 Jones, Sarah Jones, Illus. by the author Illus. $7.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 7, Aug. | $7.99 978-1-936669-62-2 Iwai, Melissa Melissa Iwai, 978-1-930238-86-2 Yosemite Conservancy (15 pp.) Yosemite Use your five senses to find the clues and guess the surprise! the guess and clues the find to senses five your Use This introduction to Yosemite may work well in con There is much to love here; it’s a pity it doesn’t shine in This latest board book in Jones’ ROYGBaby series - con As a companion to junction with a visit, but as a book to learn about what is bear for size contrast. “How small is a Sierra Nevada yellow- by Iwai’s illustrations, this time featuring tiny natural resources resources natural tiny featuring illustrations,time this Iwai’s by legged frog? // SO SMALL!” Including the bear in each answer leaves some looking a little bit ill. full (Board color. book. 0 personal with a black bear. wide-eyed infant in four droll vignettes. Diverse families are neck-tie–wearing parent attempting to read with a tiny, squirmy, squirmy, tiny, a with read to attempting parent neck-tie–wearing than rather gray that means palette limited the but represented, nose, tongue, and hands—and relate them to their five senses. illustration gives some sense of scale (the granite pebble is sizes on different pages, and there is no comparison between shown in the bear’s paw, for instance), but it may be difficult for difficult be may it but instance), for paw, bear’s the in shown sequoia cone, an alpine shooting star flower, and others. On shades of brown are used to signify complexions, darker which young readers to consider parts of their bodies—eyes, ears, small, it misses the mark. (Board book. 1 toddlers toddlers to get an idea of just how small the object in question tinues to explore key concepts in a baby’s world. It prompts of the objects, the frog, for instance, are shown in different each recto is the question with the object shown on its own. actually is without direct familiarity. It does not help that some It actually direct familiarity. is without answer (“SO SMALL!”) and the object shown with a jovial black jovial a with shown object the and SMALL!”) (“SO answer acts as guide. The rhyming text is simple and double-pageeach on one line spread, one just with anticipation short, building familiar objects, most toddlers never having gotten up close and close up gotten having never toddlers most objects, familiar found in Yosemite National Park: the chickaree squirrel, a features the same question-and-answer format accompanied On the verso of the next double-page spread is the unchanging An endearing young child, brown-skinned with short, dark hair, AUNTIE AND ME the riddle via clues. Equally pallid computer-generated art fea- Katz, Karen tures a distracting background starburst motif, and the heavily Illus. by the author stylized animals, with dark shades for Goat and awkwardly fit- Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (14 pp.) ted props for both, edge toward uncanny. The detectives appear $6.99 | Dec. 4, 2018 in a second, similarly flawed book attempting to locate a young 978-1-5344-2923-9 black child’s Lost Race Car from among a barrage of vehicles. Series: Karen Katz’s Lift-the-Flap Books Upon further investigation, this board book is better off skipped. (Board book. 2-4) (The Lost Race Car: 978-0-7643-5599-8) There are plenty of books about the love that mommy, dad, grandma, and/or grandpa feel for a child, but good luck finding a book about the special bond between a ZOOM ALONG AT THE child and an aunt. This board book meets that need. CONSTRUCTION SITE On each bright, cheery spread an aunt is shown playing Kids Can Press with a niece or nephew. Two of the children present female; two Illus. by Phillips, Jessica present male. The last two scenes feature the same infant in a Kids Can (16 pp.) pink onesie. There are no mixed-race duos; each pair has simi- $15.99 | Sep. 4, 2018 lar skin tones, hair color and texture, etc. But in each case, the 978-1-77138-886-3 delight Auntie and toddler take in each other’s company is clear. Series: Zoom Along On the first page a little girl practically leaps to open the lift- the-flap door on the opposite page because, “It’s Auntie!” This Construction-obsessed tots will find pattern of a question with the answer revealed behind an eas- themselves reflected in these pages. ily manipulated flap is repeated for every spread. One tot asks, Almost every page features a different vehicle, such as a bull- “What’s in your purse, Auntie?” (a toy dinosaur). Another pair dozer, an excavator, a front loader, and a dump truck, operated is playing hide-and-seek. Excursions to a fancy restaurant and by a driver with a large, round die-cut hole for a head. Through the zoo are featured in the next two scenes. The final scene—of the holes, little ones can see themselves in the Mylar mirrors Auntie and child reading together—ends with “A big Auntie hug embedded in the inside front cover and the antepenultimate and kiss!” Katz’s bold, patterned illustrations, straightforward page. The members of the construction crew wear orange or text printed in a clean type, oversized flaps, and a diverse cast green work gloves, so youngsters of all skin tones can try the of characters make this a fine choice for celebrating this special cosplay. One sentence of simple, friendly text in large, black let- relationship. ters appears on each page, while sound effects and action words This book is such a pleasure it prompts the question: (“Sweep!” and “Beep! Beep!”) float in a jauntier display type Can we have an uncle book next? (Board book. 1-3) in one of the top corners. The art employs graphically simple, accessible images in friendly colors. The construction-site–specific nature of this effort combines with the plethora of vehicles THE MISSING BOUNCY BALL to be found there to help remedy some of the flaws of Zoom Kenison, Misti Along (2018). Illus. by hte author While nothing new, the oversized mirror makes this Schiffer (28 pp.) offering appealing. (Board book. 6 mos.-3) $12.99 | Sep. 28, 2018 978-0-7643-5600-1 Series: Fox & Goat Mysteries 12 LUCKY ANIMALS A Bilingual Baby Book Detectives Fox and Goat use their powers of deduction to Lee, Vickie locate the titular lost bouncy ball. Illus. by Chou, Joey Setting out with lofty goals—to teach visual discrimination Godwin Books/Henry Holt (13 pp.) and the process of elimination, with a lesson in opposites along $7.99 | Dec. 31, 2018 the way—the book opens with a glimpse at the eponymous 978-1-250-18424-5 small ball boinging away. On each subsequent page the animal sleuths locate a different ball and explain which characteristics An introduction to the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac in differ from the lost ball: A football is the wrong shape; a tennis an entertaining bilingual format. ball has an incorrect texture. Its concept is swell, but the execu- This delightful board book opens with the rat, the first ani- tion lags. Only one of the oppositional pairs is clearly shown, mal in the repeating zodiac cycle, and ends with the pig. Each making it challenging to compare the two balls, and a vague oh-so-cute animal is presented in vivid color on the left page page of “clues” at the end is useless. The case closes when a stal- and again in a more muted tone along with its English moniker wart pup delivers the ball to the crying child, an ending that may and Standard Chinese character on the right. Pinyin and pho- satisfy observant readers who spotted the dog, ball in mouth, netic pronunciations are also included. In pinyin, “rat” is pro- on earlier pages, but it will disappoint those invested in solving nounced “shu˘” and phonetically as “shoo.” In addition, the traits

122 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - - - (Board

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support and Series: Baby 101 Series: Baby 101 Doubleday (22 pp.) Litton, Jonathan $8.99 | Sep. 4, 2018 BABIES FOR ANATOMY Doubleday (22 pp.) Litton, Jonathan Illus. by Elliott, Thomas by Elliott, Illus. $8.99 | Sep. 4, 2018 978-0-525-64877-2 ARCHITECTURE FOR BABIES FOR ARCHITECTURE Illus. by Elliott, Thomas by Elliott, Illus. 978-0-525-64880-2 move”), and skin (it “keeps your insides in”). The architect plans a building.” Topics include architec 4) - Some science board books for toddlers are so relentlessly Instructive and not overwhelming—just right! Think architecture for isn’t little ones? This informational Throughout this well-organized text, short sentences A useful book in the “science for babies” genre that, for once, once, for that, genre babies” for “science the in book useful A book. 1 blend to make information accessible but without talking down talking without but accessible information make to blend bolder type nicely emphasizes building-related The words. nar board book distills architectural concepts into manageable body is Think amazing! of all the things have it can do... You // lungs and cardiovascular system are described in easily grasped pyramids, and the Colosseum; varieties of construction - materi pieces. rative collapses slightly when naming “classical” and “modern” named herein are the aforementioned head, shoulders, knees, racially diverse cast of toddlers models each body part under isn’t way over baby’s head...or shoulders, knees, and toes, either. knees, and toes, head...or shoulders, way over baby’s isn’t ing the next baby Einstein rather than at kids, but anatomy is your body.” The book introduces The the book brain, introduces muscles (they “help your body.” your body terms, terms, as is the alimentary canal, the concept of taking energy tural history, with illustrations of an early hut, the Egyptian child to readers; a page with the “Some text buildings are made that “an tigating their own bodies first. Fittingly, the first body parts of stone” hasof stone” a small image above stones of a interlocking medieval castle so readers can visualize how they form a wall. Larger, clearly define various architectural terms, informing readers of a child, revealing the ribcage—“They als; and different architectural styles. Art and words smoothly ambitious they seem aimed at caregivers hellbent on produc a subject in which most any child takes a natural interest. New arrivals to the world typically begin their explorations by inves and As toes of an song. the adorably classic rendered, children’s a lot of bones!”—as a lab-coated professional the X-rays chest from food, and eliminating waste (potty-trainees, A take note). follows.description of the senses and sense organs discussion, simple, clear, and enthusiastic statements guide chil- guide statements enthusiastic and clear, simple, discussion, dren from the outer extremities to the mysteries within. “Your - - - - - will ladybug hug? will ladybug 4) - | 1 january 2019 | 123 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books (Bilingual board A A sweet and simple introduction WILL LADYBUG HUG? WILL LADYBUG for toddlers to the ideas of consent and Cartwheel/Scholastic (40 pp.) Leung, Hilary Leung, $7.99 | Oct. 30, 2018 | Oct. 30, $7.99 Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-338-21560-1 aren’t always welcome and that it’s OK to say, “No.” say, OK to that it’s and always welcome aren’t Leung hits all the right notes in this useful and appealing and this useful in all hits Leung notes the right volume that reminds kids that gestures of physical affection of physical gestures kids that that reminds volume 5) - Clear, endearing, and important. (Board book. 1 Author/illustrator Author/illustrator Leung hits all the right notes in this use- A welcome addition to the limited English–Mandarin book. 1 Sheep, and that’s Sheep, apparentlyand that’s still OK; no one gets hurt feelings. Sheep does accept a high-five, suggesting that, hugging prefer born in the Year bornof the in Rat the Year is curious, “clever, loves to eat and boundaries. bug’s friends gather to see her off at the airport (in the final illus final the (in airport the at off her see to gather friends bug’s learns that “Sheep does not want to The hug, and that’s okay.” let Ladybug hug?” For the rest of the book, Ladybug asks per physical affection aren’t always welcome and that it’s OK to poses the book’s fundamental question: “...but will her friends will enjoy trying to pronounce the Mandarin Chinese words. may feel is somewhat true but is also unsurprisingly simplistic. striking geometric shapes that children will recognize. How stay up late,” which readers familiar with the zodiacal principles zodiacal the with familiar readers which late,” up stay mission of her cute animal friends to hug them, enjoying several enjoying them, hug to friends animal cute her of mission introduce introduce the protagonist, Ladybug, who “loves hugs! She hugs say, “No.” say, A series of vignettes presents the simple lesson, in tration, she flies away on her own sans power, airplane). “Does to to say hello. She hugs to say goodbye....” The following spread ever, if precise ever, pronunciation is the goal, this book is best read ern astrology) are also listed. According to the book, someone ences aside,ences and Sheep not is aparta part from, of, the group of consensual consensual hugs and being an understanding friend when she characters charming and expressive. In the denouement, Lady- aloud by someone who knows basic Mandarin Chinese. aloud by someone who knows basic Mandarin ascribed to a person born in a particular year (much West like artwork is clean and simple, the backgrounds colorful, and the ful and appealing volume that reminds kids that gestures of friends. Chinese bilingual board books available. Q-and-A fashion, in paired two-page scenes. The first two pages two first The scenes. two-page paired in fashion, Q-and-A Little ones will love the adorable illustrations, and older ones Developmentally en pointe, the book’s familiar animals take on take animals familiar book’s the Developmentally pointe, en Ladybug want a super group Everyone hug? Yes.” clinches but Patane’s scenes are striking enough, the black animals and foreground settings making for striking contrast with the scenery in the background. i love you little one

styles along with a single example (the Taj Mahal for the former I LOVE YOU LITTLE ONE and the Sydney Opera House for the latter); it’s dubious if it will Lloyd, Clare be enough information to be conceptually meaningful. Pleasant Illus. by Patane, Claire cartoon art in cheery colors and the technically precise build- DK Publishing (18 pp.) ings will draw readers, especially a single portrait-oriented page $12.99 | Dec. 4, 2018 that captures the “fairy tale” ornateness of St. Basil’s Cathedral. 978-1-4654-8016-3 The book ends with two children of color (all the humans are racially diverse) creating a blueprint for a block tower, followed This board-book entry in the com- by a sturdy flap revealing the towering structure, bringing it all petitive-loving genre features silhouettes back to a child’s level. of animal parent-child pairs against vari- Architecture really is for kids! This is a surprisingly ously colored nighttime scenes. informative and accessible concept book. (Board book. 2-4) Each spread begins with the same question, presumably voiced by the child: “How much do you love me?” The parent’s response BOTANY FOR BABIES reaches for lyricism, not always successfully, and always includes Litton, Jonathan a comparative statement. “I love you more than the moon’s Illus. by Elliott, Thomas glowing light,” says the parent rabbit in the first spread, while Doubleday (22 pp.) the elephant parent avows, “I love you more than all the stars at $8.99 | Sep. 4, 2018 night,” in the second, establishing the rhyming pattern. Other 978-0-525-64878-9 animals include whales, monkeys, penguins, owls, wolves, and Series: Baby 101 cats; each animal in the pair is labeled with the generic for the adult and the specialized term for that animal’s young for the Another attempt to simplify a complex topic for babies or child. Patane’s scenes are striking enough, the black animals and toddlers. foreground settings making for striking contrast with the scen- From the first, Elliott’s stylized plants all have the look of ery in the background. Lloyd’s verse scans fine, but it can seem the plants children draw in kindergarten—cheerful, but not sci- desperate, as when the owl responds, “I love you more than the entifically accurate—and seem calculated to emphasize a sense fluffiest feathers,” in order to rhyme with the penguin’s “I love of bounty rather than order. One spread is littered with seeds, you more than snowy weather.” The book is weighted down but only seven are labeled—unless some are rocks or pebbles? by its final page, which holds a battery that allows readers to Three following spreads try to explain the difference between illuminate the moon on the cover with tiny LED bulbs when roots and shoots, utilizing cross-section views to illustrate an icon is pressed. Despite this gimmick, this book feels little belowground growth. Without using the term, photosynthe- different from many of its peers. sis is summarized: “Leaves use sunlight to create energy and Pretty but ephemeral. (Board book. 1-3) food for plants to grow.” Similarly, the statement “Bees take pollen from flower to flower so the plants can make seeds” just scratches the surface. The picture of a smiling oversized bee BEDTIME accumulating pollen at the bottoms of all six feet does little to Illus. by Loiselet, Camille clarify. After a discussion of fruit and fruit seeds, the final spread Auzou Publishing (10 pp.) shows two children (a child of color and a white-presenting $9.99 | Oct. 9, 2018 child) gazing in amazement at a flower bud that blooms when 978-2-7338-5914-8 a flap is lifted. Altogether a confusing disappointment, making this an unfortunate outlier in the Baby 101 series. Zoology for This interactive French import illus- Babies, published simultaneously, is more successful. The topic trates a number of common bedtime is more familiar, and animals are more easily sorted by common routines. features and habitat. Just don’t believe its ending proclamation, The interactions begin on the cover, where a white bunny “Now you’re a zoologist!” in green PJs lies on its bed, and children can slide the curtain Overreaches and oversimplifies at the same time.(Board across the window, changing the scene from day to night; bunny book. 1-4) (Zoology for Babies: 978-0-525-64879-6) will also be awake or asleep accordingly. Cute and friendly- looking anthropomorphic animals describe their typical eve- nings on the interior. A little tiger chooses a story, brushes its teeth, puts on its pajamas, and slides under the covers. Readers choose which of two pairs of pajamas it should wear by sliding the sturdy tab. In another scene a bird family readies for bed, with Mommy singing a lullaby and Daddy reading a book. Again, readers are asked to slide the tab to choose one of two princess stories. A sheep tells children, “I count sheep to help me sleep.” Children can spin a wheel to see sheep jumping over a gate. As

124 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult

bufanda 4) - mittens!” or “I am going copos de nieve con la lengua!” 3) - scarf and A A bilingual Spanish-English board Series: Seasons blue manatee press (14 pp.) blue manatee IN WINTER / EN INVIERNO $7.99 | Sep. 1, 2018 $7.99 Illus. by Momohara, Emily Hanako by Momohara, Illus. 978-1-936669-66-0 Madinabeitia Manso, Susana Manso, Madinabeitia snowflakes with my tongue!” followed by a question Having Having already introduced the other seasons, this book The beautiful, inviting illustrations ensure readers will A sweet book that does the job. (Board book. 2 manoplas!” and “¡Voy atrapar keep coming back, finding new detailsto delight in upon book about winter. hair and a colorful knit sweater demonstrating the things the have ruled edging, and the large numbers of the countdown preschooler will do when winter comes. As the child poses panying text follows a repeating pattern: “In winter...I am page, encouraging a reread. Theseek-and-find only reason to what they like about winter. what they like visual interest readers probably won’t mind, and the age- raise an eyebrow is to the scale of a couple it’s illustrations: If it should be a “¡Voy atrapar copos de nieve con la lengua!”) on reflect encouragedto are readers end the In equivalent. ish y going to keep going warm to keep with my to to catch two two pages point out to readers that a heart is hidden on each truly a mouse house that the animals are building, then aren’t the bear-sized stairs (built by six bears) rather inconvenient? the same a format: abrigarme “En con invierno...¡Voy etc.). Photographs show a brown child with a cute tuft of curly of tuft cute a with child brown a show Photographs etc.). each revisit. (Board book. 6 mos. , 2018, 2018, , Verano En / Summer (In series the concludes winter about against a light-green knit-textured background, the - accom addressed to readers: “How are you going to keep warm?” or are filled with tiny patterns that echo the larger illustrations. accompaniment. is a sweet rhyming text appropriate and believable, a thoughtful touch. reallyskill- It’s MacNeill’s ful hand with the detailed illustrations that sets this one apart. one this sets that illustrations detailed the with hand ful Perhaps Perhaps the most delightful of these details is that the final (Spanish-speaking readers will notice the grammar mistake— These statements are followed by the questions in the Span- The charming mixed-media illustrations provide so much The pages incorporate graph paper, the front and back The covers pages graph paper, incorporate The progression of the story from plans to moving in is logical logical is in moving to storyplans fromthe of progression The “How “How many are you going to The catch?” Spanish text follows - 4) - 3) moon and - | 1 january 2019 | 125 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books A A handy group of creatures comes abramsappleseed (20 pp.) ONE HOUSE CHRISTMAS! DECKED OUT FOR DECKED OUT FOR Orca (26 pp.) Long, Ethan Long, $9.99 | Oct. 16, 2018 $9.95 | Sep. 25, 2018 $9.95 | Sep. 25, Illus. by the author Illus. Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-4197-2305-6 978-1-4598-1659-6 MacNeill, Sarah MacNeill, Step Step by step, each contributing critter helps with the - con Nothing new but sweet enough. (Board book. 1 Each illustration is accompanied by three or four words of A freshtake on well-worn traditions. (Board book. 2 What are these helpful mice decorating? That’s the ques plans to the five snails who are “driving nails.” The countdown countdown The nails.” “driving are who snails five the to plans polar bear appears in a festively decorated sleigh. Adult polar readers bear appears in Adult a festively sleigh. decorated will appreciate the visual humor: The star perched on a coil is mouse elfs might be male; they have green-and-white stocking include simple rhyming phrases that read tightly and naturally. naturally. tightlyand read that phrases rhyming simple include revealed a flap. by lifting snacks and sunglasses or a map, air freshener, and fuzzy dice? made of cheese; the slogan on the mug proclaims is “COCOA skirt and seems to be They female. all have red socks and curly starts with those 10 toucans and works its way down to one, struction of a new house, from the 10 drawing toucans up the stars shine. On the last spread some illustrations depict bed- garland, juggling ornaments. until Not Page 13 do readers start stars shine bright.” By sliding the tab little ones can make the tasks, opening boxes labeled hanging “decorations,” lights and wonder to what Why exactlydo they they need are decorating. tops tops slightly flared at the bottom. The third mouse elf sports tion this board book poses readers. in hints further with garland!”) the Then, / lights! the (“First text young even that decorations on focuses Long scenes. snowy the together to build a house for the neighborhood mouse. to together the new COFFEE.” Older toddlers will enjoy the clever mouse time objects—a soft toy (here called Lovely), slippers, a pillow, elf feet. Regardless, they throw themselves equally into their caps perched between their ears with matching green-striped children may notice of early the on in Two the seasonal frenzy. enumerating animals and steps along the way. All of the pages enumerating animals and steps along the way. a red-and-white hat and scarf with a green top and longer red a koala sleeps cuddling a raccoon, “Outside, the antics and surprise ending. and a bed. Other illustrations ask a question, with the answer The mystery is solved on the next-to-last spread when a Santa I LOVE TO GOBBLE YOU UP! with the illustrator’s trademark prints, so “Jack” and “Jill” Magsamen, Sandra appear in multicolored, patterned letters, for instance. These Illus. by the author embellished words crowd out the art in some spreads, particu- Cartwheel/Scholastic (10 pp.) larly “Hey, Diddle, Diddle.” Most of the classics are presented $7.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 straight, but “Humpty Dumpty” gets comfort from parents 978-1-338-11092-0 rather than a hapless response from all the king’s horses and Series: Made With Love men. This is emotionally satisfying, but it also plays havoc with the rhyme’s scansion: “Mommy and Daddy knew what to do... This short, sweet, and silly Thanks- / They gave him lots of hugs and kisses, too!” giving puppet book is no turkey. While tall in trim size, it’s short on content. (Board book. Despite a title suggestive of a treatise 6 mos.-2) on unrepentant cannibalism, this book should prove a read-aloud delight for caregivers and toddlers alike. Seemingly indestructible, it features plush turkey feath- TWINKLE, TWINKLE, YOU’RE ers that extend from the top of the book to adorn the turkey MY STAR depicted on the cover and on each succeeding two-page set Magsamen, Sandra piece. The message is simple: “If kisses were gobbles, I’d gobble Illus. by the author you up! // I’d gobble your nose... // and your cute little toes.” The Cartwheel/Scholastic (12 pp.) brief text includes only two additional sentences, with a total $7.99 | Jul. 31, 2018 of five additional “gobbles.” “Gobbles” may be read aloud, tur- 978-1-338-24312-3 key-style, or while miming munching of the relevant extremities; either way, much giggling should ensue. Author/illustrator This heart-shaped book comes with a star-shaped finger Magsamen’s artwork is done in faux-needlecraft style, as though puppet. assembled from pieces of felt stitched to the backgrounds, and There exists a subgenre of children’s books so exceedingly embellished by copious hearts. The two turkey protagonists are gushy and effusive it seems clear the text was written for starry- rendered with a nonrealistic, cartoonish simplicity, with blank eyed adults rather than for the children to whom they read the expressions that nonetheless imply affection, curiosity, and books. This die-cut, valentine-shaped board book is a case in playfulness. They’d look right at home in a Thanksgiving epi- point. For the most part, it reads like a mawkish love letter sode of South Park. Varied compositions, with turkey No. 2 in from caregiver to child, heaping on the hyperbole to a degree the foreground or on a distant barn roof, or turkey No. 1 stand- that feels almost unctuous. To be fair, of course, parenthood is ing on grass, then on a fence, and then backside toward readers, one of the few human experiences so profound that those new create an impressive sense of action while keeping turkey No. 1 to the role might find themselves in total agreement with the firmly attached to its feathers. sentiments somewhat cloyingly expressed herein: “Twinkle, Delightfully delicious. (Board book. 6 mos.-3) twinkle, little one; / your precious life has just begun. // You fill the world with hope and light, // my special child you shine so bright.” Perhaps it’s best that this book is intended for an audi- MAMA LOVES HER ence too young to fully grasp its meaning; that sort of praise SILLY GOOSE! could lead to some seriously swelled heads. Fortunately, the Magsamen, Sandra highfalutin doggerel is undercut by the emergence of a smiling, Illus. by the author yellow, star-shaped finger puppet from a hole in the center of Cartwheel/Scholastic (10 pp.) the book; wagging this star at youngsters while reading aloud $6.99 | Dec. 26, 2018 makes the experience just silly enough to counteract the trea- 978-1-338-30577-7 cle. The text ends on a down-to-earth note: “Twinkle, twinkle, you’re my star; // I love you just the way you are!” Bright colors A selection of five nursery rhymes and hearts abound. and songs embellished with Magsamen’s A bit cringey, but who doesn’t love finger puppets? signature characters, patterns, and faux (Board book. 6 mos.-2) stitch-work. With a tall, skinny trim size (9 inches high by 4 inches wide), each double-page spread presents one stanza or verse of a classic rhyme, from the chorus to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” to the first verse of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” In muted pastel hues, a variety of cute critters act out each verse in illustrations that mix spot art and large tableaux. Words are hand- lettered in white, with select, highlighted words reproduced

126 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - - Gordon Gordon

Gordon & Li Li Gordon Pandas Pandas Gordon and Li Li learn - com WITH GORDON & LI LI WITH GORDON MY FIRST MANDARIN WORDS WORDS MY FIRST MANDARIN Cartwheel/Scholastic (24 pp.) $9.99 | Oct. 30, 2018 $9.99 | Oct. 30, Illus. by Doan, Nam Illus. 978-1-338-25372-6 McSween, Michele Wong Michele McSween, 6) - 8) - (Board book. 2 Train-loving totsmay fancythis Christmas ride allyear In In this apparent compilation of earlier bilingual books by A dearth of bilingual Chinese-English books for chil long. lary in three Animals, separate and chapters: Everyday Words, rendered in a lush, pleasing palette with a refreshingly brown- responding pinyin, and a phonetic pronunciation of the - Man mon terms in English and Chinese. in English and mon terms ing trajectory and the phrase “Bye-bye!” occurring one-third of skinned Santa as star. its spread, discourages focus and learning. The ad hoc phonetic guidance guidance offers little help to readers unfamiliar with guage—printed accents the give no lan- functional clue as to tonal dif- the pandas prominently featured in each image, sometimes trations do not convey concepts particularly effectively. The overalltext reads as a mashup of three books, with no overarch- the book. the way into exists—but they may prefer the stand-alone offerings. cartoonish illustrations are charming and rich in detail, and it is it and detail, in rich and charming are illustrations cartoonish dren means those looking to introduce young readers to each, the word in English, each, the the translation word in simplified Chinese characters, an illustration of one or both of the pandas, the cor obscuring the vocabulary item, the boldly colored digital illus darin. The crowded layout, with eight concepts on a two-page ferences—and those familiar with pinyin will With not need it. Counting. Each page covers four different concepts with, for Mandarin will be glad that this book, though quite flawed, flawed, quite though book, this that glad will be Mandarin , Count in Mandarin 2010), the two pandas introduce vocabu - , for Everyday McSween 2009; Words Li Li: & (Gordon (Board book. 6 mos. , in Mandarin Animals & Li Li Learn 2010; and skinned Santa asskinned the star. - | 1 january 2019 | 127 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books (2017), Aboard! All all aboard! the christmas train the christmas all aboard! A familiar song repackaged as a board a as repackaged song familiar A refreshingly brown book doubles asfinger puppet. a abramsappleseed (10 pp.) Cartwheel/Scholastic (6 pp.) $7.99 | Dec. 26, 2018 | Dec. 26, $7.99 $9.99 | Oct. 16, 2018 ALL ABOARD! THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN Illus. by Kolb, Andrew by Kolb, Illus. Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-338-30576-0 978-1-4197-3295-9 Mara, Nichole Mara, Magsamen, Sandra Magsamen, YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE YOU 3) - and they are rendered in a lush, pleasing palette with a with lush, pleasing in a are rendered and they palette The cartoonish illustrations cartoonish The detail, in and rich charming are Five Five cars of holiday fun and snowy scenery—now if only Many Many a caregiver has sung this refrain to a newborn or - tod This delightful, non-narrative excursion unfolds—literally—excursion non-narrative delightful, This A fun but inessential novelty, as much toy as book. Santa can find his boot! long. As with Mara and Kolb’s first rail outing, rail first Kolb’s and Mara with As long. kisses every day” instead of the expected “Please don’t take umbrellas, bunnies, raccoons, and squirrels. The thick, heart- pet feature does not obstruct the initial page turns, but when positioning the finger puppet is somewhat challenging. in a sturdy volume that a into extends yuletide train over 4 feet my sunshine Her away.” cheery artwork, reminiscent of appli- men lays claim and sweetens it up. She uses only the chorus snowmen to spot, hills, houses, and water. With so much to see, so much to With spot, hills,snowmen to houses, and water. this book The has a of ton appeal. seek, interactive and answer, schooler set. As the gingerbread engineer drives the train, Santa train, the drives engineer gingerbread the As set. schooler shaped pages include a circular die-cut hole through which read- which through hole die-cut circular a include pages shaped sad. The pages are decorated with hearts and cuddly-looking you find toya that zooms? One that Reversingspins?” the goes searching for his missing boot, which takes him through goings-on within. Die-cut windows, bright colors, holiday decor, decor, holiday colors, bright windows, Die-cut within. goings-on tryside past which the train is chugging, with skiers to count, extended extended pages, meanwhile, reveals the snow-covered - coun every car on the train. each Questions scene: “Can you and find activities two snowflakes that accompany match?”“Can elves, toys, penguins, pies, and Santa Claus make this a visually engaging read for those Christmas celebrants among the pre- once once the concertina pages are folded out, each one is a unique the reveal to up lifting each of exterior the with train, the on car ers might poke the smiling felt sun puppet attached to the back the to attached puppet sun felt smiling the poke might ers cover. A finger inserted from the back makes the sun wiggle caregiver-child caregiver-child animal pairs—foxes, skunks with sunny yellow and will capture even the youngest baby’s attention. The pup- a toddler says, “Do it again” (as they doubtless will), quickly re- and changes the last line to “I’ll give you lots of hugs... / and que, recalls the song’s country-music roots and is anything but dler, dler, ignoring the decidedly sad lyrics of the original. - Magsa (Board book. mos. 18 The teddy bear, with its cream-colored yoga pants, stitched-on smile, and constantly closed eyes, is a nonjudgmental and race-neutral role model. mindful poses for little yogis

MINDFUL POSES FOR about “BEING HEALTHY.” The type uses contrasting colors LITTLE YOGIS and all-caps for emphasis. A companion book, I Look Up to... Meddy Teddy Ruth Bader Ginsburg, follows the same format. Again, Burke Photos by the author nails Ginsburg’s posture; her eyes look exactly like Obama’s, but Random House (26 pp.) she gazes from square-framed glasses. Ginsburg also wears her $7.99 | Oct. 9, 2018 iconic decorative collar in every illustration, even when she is 978-1-63565-129-4 shown exercising. Will be welcomed by caregivers looking for heroines to Toddlers are invited to imitate 21 basic yoga poses modeled inspire young children. (Board book. 2-4) (: I Look Up to…Ruth by a serene teddy bear that is also available for purchase. Bader Ginsburg: 978-0-525-57952-6) Only the poses are shown. There are no hints about how to achieve the pose (getting into pigeon or eagle position using only the illustration may prove difficult), modify the posture, or HELLO, LOVE! transition between poses. Nor is there any discussion of medi- Miura, Taro tation or the philosophy behind yoga practice. The uncluttered, Illus. by the author child-friendly design overshadows these concerns. Caregivers Chronicle (22 pp.) can find instructional information in other, more detailed man- $6.99 | Dec. 24, 2018 uals or videos or on the Meddy Teddy website, where a bear that 978-1-4521-7087-9 can be bent into yoga positions is sold. The book is designed to help young children recognize and perhaps try the poses, even Winsome animals greet each other if they do not have the poseable bear. The teddy bear, with its from across the gutter in this Japanese import. cream-colored yoga pants, stitched-on smile, and constantly Two creatures meander about on opposite sides of a double- closed eyes, is a nonjudgmental and race-neutral role model. page spread until a page turn joins them at the gutter, suddenly Most poses are shown on a single page with “Upward-facing bringing two monkeys’ hands together and two goldfish face to dog” and “Forward-fold split” each occupying a double-page face. Even readers who might normally gloss over book design spread. Each posture stands out clearly against a solid-colored will notice and appreciate the fresh way Miura has used the background. The designers avoid the use of confusing meta- book’s layout to connect the friends. Circle-headed humans phors, labeling each pose with the most commonly used term join the mix on the final three spreads, with a beguiling child for that position. cuddling cheek to cheek with Mommy before Daddy also Despite the commercial tie-in, this is a worthy and use- appears at the lovefest on the following spread. (These humans ful addition to the growing list of books for young yogis. have pale skin and brown hair.) All the most elemental features (Board book. 2-4) are exaggerated on the flat, cartoonlike representations, all sitting on minimally detailed backgrounds that draw the eye to the duos. White ducks silhouetted against rich blue have enor- I LOOK UP TO… mous golden bills, pointy little tails, and vague lines that suggest MICHELLE OBAMA wings. Unfortunately, while it works visually, it fails textually. Membrino, Anna Each pair has an original salutation to share with each other, Illus. by Burke, Fatti but the resulting statements are so clunky that it’s a struggle Random House (22 pp.) to read aloud: “Fish swim HELLO! / ...by touching noses.” Also $7.99 | Oct. 2, 2018 problematic is the confusion about which animal greetings are 978-0-525-57954-0 fabricated and which are real. Some are accurate, such as the Series: I Look Up to . . . elephants that shake trunks, but ducks do not “quack HI! / ...by tapping beaks.” An earnest board-book introduction to a strong female role Although this pretty book holds a sweet sentiment, it’s model for young feminists. not substantial enough to satisfy. (Board book. 1-3) Actually, this book is more for caregivers eager to raise a feminist than it is for children. Membrino addresses her readers familiarly, equally casually referring to her subject as simply “Michelle” following the first-page introduction. She focuses on the former first lady’s key messages: working hard, being healthy, having fun, getting an education. In the patterned presentation, a sentence from Membrino about how Obama lives her values is followed by a quote. Burke’s vivid, playful illustrations use bold colors against patterned backgrounds. Obama is almost always dressed in bright pink. The illustrations get her stance and posture right; her eyes are exaggerated, looking directly at the reader. Her famous arms are proudly flexed on the page

128 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | WHO AM I? things come to those who wait (“Like lollipops! And gold Mory, Tristan & Babin, Stéphanie stars! And big hugs!”), so caregivers should be prepared to Twirl/Chronicle (22 pp.) deliver when the mission is accomplished. Once kids master $12.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 pooping and peeing in the potty, the super duo assures them, 978-2-40800-435-4 “Your parents will be so proud! / Because who doesn’t want a superhero in the family? // And you’ll earn Big Boy and Big Sturdy, slide-and-see puzzles intro- Girl underpants!” Jubilation and wonderfully bad bathroom duce toddlers to a few favorite animals in puns ensue, followed by reminders to wipe, flush, and wash this French import. those hands with soap. In a book designed to be operated by rough, young hands, A direct and uproarious way to start a critical conversa- several animal friends hide, more or less, in plain sight. tion. (Board book. 2-4) “Who am I?” the cover queries, as two big eyes peer out of a nondescript explosion of yellow, with a few black, ambigu- ous lines. Pull on the easy-to-grip tab, and two ears, a nose, PEEK-A-WHO? and a mouth slide up into place, revealing the unmistakable Mroziewicz, Elsa features of a cat whose tail, readers will note slinks around to Illus. by the author the book’s back cover. Inside, the front cover’s reverse page Minedition (22 pp.) sports featureless masses of tan, orange, and brown. The fac - $11.99 | Sep. 1, 2018 ing page asks, “Hoo, hoo... / Who is awake when night comes?” 978-988-8341-57-3 Pull the tab again: “It’s me, the owl!” The book goes on to

present a frog, a bear, a tortoise, a snail, a rabbit, a fox, an Just when you thought it couldn’t be young adult elephant, and a duck, each with an appropriate animal sound done, there’s a new twist—ahem, fold— and one easily assimilated fact per creature. The final image on a classic guessing game! Read the clues, then open triangular is of an egg, from which a chick hatches when a helping tod- flaps to see animals hidden beneath. dler hand slides the page open. There is much here to capti- Folded into a robust, surprisingly compact triangle, the vate the youngest readers: interactive tactile activity, animal book opens into a diamond shape with a simple, animal-sound– sounds to replicate, and questions that can all be answered related hint, such as “Who says MOO?” printed across. Pull in the repeating format, “It’s me, the frog [or bear, tortoise, down one flap and then the other to reveal a charming red cow. snail, etc.].” Giving readers two separate flaps per spread extends the deli- The elegant simplicity of the artwork, content, and cious anticipation of discovering who’s hiding, making it a slow, format should make this a repeatable favorite for kids and almost theatrical reveal. Underneath are elegant, painterly ani- caregivers alike. (Board book. 1-3) mals in bold, matte colors embellished with wispy dashes and tiny dots in contrasting colors, all of whom gaze directly toward viewers, making the book equally useful for playing a spirited SUPER POOPER AND game of peekaboo as well as guess who. No mere novelty, the WHIZZ KID flaps are integral to Mroziewicz’s animals, folding upward into Potty Power! perky ears on an impressionistic cat’s face or down for dangling Moyle, Sabrina turkey legs. Putting the flaps back in place is fiddly but easy Illus. by Moyle, Eunice enough, though the book’s eye-catching triangular shape makes abramsappleseed (24 pp.) shelving difficult. Each of the 11 animals has its own evoca- $9.99 | Aug. 14, 2018 tive typeface and accent color. Warm pink flaps open to a zany 978-1-4197-3157-0 patchwork piggie; the snake’s “HISSSSSSS” is printed in waver- ing, slithery type. A super-duper primer for that critical toddler milestone, Caregivers will flip over the innovative flaps, warm ani- potty training. mal art, and opportunities to interact with little listeners. Encourage toddlers to embark on that next, great adven- (Board book. 6 mos.-3) ture with this practical, funny guide to toilet training. Two masked heroes, a dog and a cat clad in capes and underpants and armed with rolls of toilet paper, teach children what to do “when you need to go #1 or #2. / That’s secret code for pee and poo.” The pastel colors are warm and bright; the anthropomorphized pee drop and poo pile are instantly rec - ognizable and, well, kind of cute. Our protagonists learn to recognize the signals (“a rumble in my bumble...or a dance in my pants”—here the “pee-pee dance” is lovingly, hilariously rendered) and act fast. They race to the toilet, pull down their pants, sit down and wait (“the hardest part”). But good

| kirkus.com | board & baby books | 1 january 2019 | 129 POOR LITTLE RABBIT named “Eugene,” opening up an opportunity for adult-child Mühle, Jörg conversation that’s reinforced by the follow-up question. A Illus. by the author companion volume, Lois Looks for Bob at the Park, follows the Trans. by Chidgey, Catherine same format. The sturdy flaps are large, interesting shapes Gecko Press (10 pp.) that are also easily manipulated. The illustrations are clear $9.99 | Aug. 1, 2018 and uncluttered, tuxedo cat Lois standing out against muted, 978-1-77657-177-2 pastel backgrounds. Best for sharing one-on-one with little ones. (Board book. Little Rabbit has fallen over and injured his elbow. It hurts! 1-4) (Lois Looks for Bob at the Park: 978-1-5362-0255-7) Having helped to put Little Rabbit to bed (Tickle My Ears, 2016) and also to give him a bath (Bathtime for Little Rabbit, 2017), in this new installment readers are now asked to help HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE Little Rabbit feel better. Tapping into a toddler’s developing Illus. by Quintanilla, Hazel sense of empathy, the author talks directly to children as he Flowerpot Press (14 pp.) guides them through the actions that will help Little Rab- $7.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 bit. As the little white rabbit with a tear on his face shows 978-1-4867-1564-0 off a bruised, red elbow, readers are asked to “Try blowing on it—wfff, wfff, wfff.” With the turn of the page, readers One of a quartet of board books of see their blowing didn’t help; Little Rabbit is bleeding. As he familiar nursery rhymes. cries even harder, the author suggests children put a band- Cover images of a smiling, spotted aid on. Turn the page, and—“Perfect!”—the crying has sub- cartoon cow jumping over a beaming sided somewhat, but a little more comforting is needed. A moon stand out against a dark background. Liberal use of pat- “magic rhyme,” perhaps: “Rock-a-bye bunny, in the treetop.” terning, such as a subtle blue stripe in the night sky, gives the The hurt bunny is still crying so readers are asked to stroke otherwise flat illustrations depth. A view of a cat sleeping in his ears. “Thank you, that worked!” Now it’s time to wipe a window on the first, wordless page hints at what is to come, away the tears and blow his nose. “Very good!” The only thing and sure enough it takes out its fiddle by the third double-page remaining is to brush off the dirt and send Little Rabbit on spread. Companion nighttime title Twinkle, Twinkle, Little his way. Little Rabbit’s feelings are so apparent in the expres - Star uses a similar, appropriately dark palette. Also publish- sive cartoon illustrations that young readers will easily con- ing simultaneously are The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Little Bo Peep, nect with him. both lighter and brighter than the first two but with the same A sweetly engaging book powered simply by imagina - smiling animal faces and decorative patterns in collagelike pic- tion and a turn of the page. (Board book. 1-3) tures. Quintanilla avoids questions of race and gender by using animal characters throughout, making Bo Peep an Old English sheepdog instead of a shepherdess. All four texts are true to LOIS LOOKS FOR BOB the original rhymes, without embellishments or added verses, AT HOME making them a reasonable way to introduce toddlers to the Nosy Crow traditional rhymes. However, the hefty sticker prices make Illus. by Turley, Gerry them rather expensive additions to a toddler’s library, espe- Nosy Crow/Candlewick (12 pp.) cially since many caregivers can probably recite them from $8.99 | Dec. 24, 2018 memory. A more comprehensive book of nursery rhymes such 978-1-5362-0254-0 as My Very First Mother Goose edited by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells (1996) would be a better investment. Lois, a winsome kitty, looks for Bob, her unlikely bird com- For settings that would value the rhymes in separate panion, in this clever lift-the-flap board book. packages, sturdy, serviceable efforts. (Board book. 6 mos.-2) The black-and-white cat with expressive, large yellow eyes looks “behind the guitar,” “on the table,” “in the cupboard,” “by the coats,” and “on the windowsill” before finally finding Bob “on the armchair.” Behind each object, printed on a shaped gatefold, is a different animal—just not the bird hinted at on the cover until the last. When the animals are revealed, they are identified by a proper name rather than by the generic name of the animal; this is followed by a comment or question. The narrator announces that it’s “Daphne!” (a mouse) inside the cupboard and then asks, “Do you think she’s supposed to be eating that cheese?” Young children who are just learning to recognize common animals may initially be confused by a bunny named “Clifford” or a fish

130 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - -

(Board book.(Board BABY SEE, BABY DO SEE, BABY BABY Lift & Look in the Mirror! Lift & Look Chronicle (20 pp.) Rogge, Robie Rogge, Jennifer Photos by Hale, $9.99 | Aug. 7, 2018 7, Aug. $9.99 | 978-1-4521-6890-6 3) - So-so rhymes with charming illustrations, this one From smiling to sad, crawling From to stretching, this book cov This board book features photographs of babies’ faces dis While it doesn’t do anything truly original, it’s saved 18 mos.)18 - by thebymirror play and adorable featured babies. bouncing baby and the book at the same time, it capitalizes practice practice the faces illustrated on each page. Pages that feature playing basic emotions and movements. which serves as a hint to readers to act out the movement and movementand the out act servesto which readers to hint asa with salt. // I have six avocadoes. / One’s too mushy (not my not so much on sharing. by enjoyed be can really it that show to if as verybook, this ing its intended The audience. biggest flaw here is that this type inside that remains open even while turning pages. Though nice nice details that readers will enjoy pointing out: playful cats mango is cut in half). The final two pages are a note to parents parents to pages note a two are final The half). in cut is mango same baby on each side, the verso a wide shot and the recto a sion even if the book mostly focuses on counting things and younger readers, as however, there are actually six items (one to to readers, the baby on the last two pages of the book is read- the book’s magnetic, wrap-around cover includes a mirror this feature may be cumbersome for caregivers balancing a of book is a dime a dozen, both in terms of cute photographs ers all of the baby basics. Each two-page spread features the seriously, title the Taking frame. circular a in headshot close-up on babies’ love of self and encourages readers and listeners to emphasize the action (curved lines around a waving hand), doesn’t stand out for either teaching counting or sharing. and Mylar mirrors. Babes pictured are a diverse range. and Mylar a movement (“Baby waves”) include an overlay of lines that about children learning how to share. It’s a thoughtful inclu- and dogs, adults busy in the background, bugs on the - cof draw attention to that part of the photograph. In a sweet wink wink sweet a In photograph. the of part that to attention draw fee mugs. The illustration with five mangoes could confuse fault!).” Gulliver’s illustrations are softly drawn and include 6 (Board book. 1 - - pet the pets pet | 1 january 2019 | 131 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 3) - MINE! PET THE PETS Sharing Beaming Books (28 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (18 pp.) Schuster Little Simon/Simon & Rivadeneira, Caryn Rivadeneira, Reul, Sarah Lynne Sarah Reul, $7.99 | Aug. 14, 2018 Aug. | $7.99 $8.99 | Aug. 14, 2018 Aug. $8.99 | Illus. by Gulliver, Amanda by Gulliver, Illus. Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-5064-4679-0 978-1-5344-0939-2 A Counting Book About Book About A Counting A Lift-the-flap Book A Lift-the-flap bodies transform into perky, effervescent animals. perky, into transform bodies it’s a genuine pleasure to watch pleading eyes and drooping pleading eyes watch pleasure a genuine to it’s The cartoonlike pets aren’t the cutest critters on the block, but block, on the critters cutest the pets aren’t cartoonlike The From one From to 10, each double-page spread features a child It’s a rough day to be a pet! There’s an animal in mild crisis crisis mild in animal an There’s pet! a be to day rough a It’s As the title and subtitle suggest, this rhyming board book A collection A of needy pets “all feel better” with a little help Although the book’s production quality leaves some book itself is not. The dots of its halftone printing are dis backgrounds share the same deeply saturated colors, making thing to be desired, toddlers will adore helping out their larly-substantial flaps catch and crease. Additionally, flaps and and flaps Additionally, larly-substantial crease. and catch flaps up the rhyme, and readers stopping to count the objects on new animal buddies. (Board book. mos. 18 page (“swirl the yarn to wind it”), and with a gratifying lift of watch pleading eyes and drooping bodies transform into perky, perky, into transform bodies drooping and eyes pleading watch wool. wool. A direct address from the pet praising readers for the read-aloud. Most of the stanzas have a solid cadence, but readying a quantity of supplies for the culminating beach party. party. beach culminating the for supplies of quantity a readying include the full quatrain without breaks, making for a tighter may build (These vocabulary. activities are mostly imaginary, some are forced: “I have five ripe mangoes. / I sprinkle them the pages will lose the rhythm. The story’s final four pages their sketchily drawn bodies, the cartoonlike pets aren’t the the flap, the kitten is now snuggling a “nice and neat” ball of tractingly apparent, and several of the curved, - not-particu the flaps’ edges frustratingly to find. difficult effervescent animals. If the concept is a sweet surprise, the cutest cutest critters on the block, but it’s a genuine pleasure to of ways to interact with pages, and while some, such as “open,” as“open,” such some, pages,while with and interact to ways of on each double-page spread. Poor kitty’s yarn is a total mess. across two spreads each, which sometimes awkwardly breaks about sharing with friends. as the physical interactions are confined to lifting flaps.) With With flaps.) lifting to confined are interactions physical asthe assistance that “saved the day!” taps perfectly into a toddler’s and “push,” will be familiar, others such as “pat” and “pinch” depicts countable items for a beach picnic as children learn from their child reader friends. variety instructionswide the a Among are help. to desire deep But never fear! Youngsters But are never told fear! Youngsters exactly how to touch the Rivadeneira’s rhyming quatrains are broken into two couplets two rhyming couplets into quatrains are broken Rivadeneira’s The charming illustrations of the toddler hippo, buried beneath preposterously thick layerings of scarf, should provoke happy giggles. bundle up

I LOVE YOU THROUGH the mosaic-inspired composition on the verso, which makes AND THROUGH AT them challenging but interesting to spot. The darker colors, CHRISTMAS, TOO! especially black, are especially difficult, but the other pages Rossetti-Shustak, Bernadette are vibrant and colorful. The extra-large size of this book Illus. by Church, Caroline Jayne facilitates the game but may make it difficult to fit in standard Cartwheel/Scholastic (26 pp.) board-book shelves. $8.99 | Sep. 25, 2018 Challenging, fascinating, and fun, this book is enter- 978-1-338-23010-9 taining for adults and children to enjoy together. (Board book. 2-4) Loving assurance comes wrapped in holiday sentiments. Church’s round-faced toddler will be instantly recogniz- BUNDLE UP able from previous titles thanks to the tiny eyes and toothless Sattler, Jennifer smile. Whether inside or out, both the child and a teddy-bear Illus. by the author companion sport bright red Santa hats. The gentle, first- Sleeping Bear Press (22 pp.) person text assures this winsome toddler of the narrator’s $7.99 | Aug. 15, 2018 unconditional love while the text evokes both the frenetic 978-1-53411-002-1 activity of Christmas preparations and the ideals of the season. “[S]hopping and wrapping / making and baking” are balanced A cute, purple hippo models winterwear in a variety of col- by “I love you because you are patient and kind, // merry and ors and makes a snowman an offer it can’t refuse. bright, // helping and giving.” Sometimes the text rhymes (“I This sweet and simple board book engages children on love you with bells and wreaths, // garland and trees”), but several levels, first by introducing colors and various winter instead of forcing consistent rhymes, Rossetti-Shustak relies garments, then by encouraging them to review those col- on rhythm and pacing to deliver her message. Muted greens, ors—reading them, if they’re able—and count the number russet reds, and tawny backgrounds scattered with stars and of instances of each. Not bad, given the deceptively simple snowflakes give the illustrations an old-fashioned feel. The narrative. The book opens with the unnamed pachyderm sturdy binding and padded covers will survive rough han- protagonist at the window, watching the snow fall. A series dling. There’s not a real story here; just an attitude of unmiti- of two-panel spreads follows, text on verso, illustration on gated acceptance. The child has light skin and a few wisps of recto. “Where are my yellow mittens?” asks the hippo with brown hair. a puzzled look on its face. The question is answered with a Good for a holiday snuggle with a little one. (Board book. turn of the page: “Here are my yellow mittens,” the hippo 1-3) announces, forefeet snugly fitted inside the protective hand- gear in question. The rest of the book follows suit, with a green scarf, a red coat, and a blue hat. The charming illus - CAN YOU FIND IT? trations of the toddler hippo, buried beneath preposterously Sajnani, Surya thick layerings of scarf on one page or eyes obscured by an Illus. by the author impossibly floppy hat on another, should provoke happy Words & Pictures (20 pp.) giggles. Once bundled, the little hippo runs outside and $12.95 | Aug. 14, 2018 exchanges all that winter gear with a snowman, making off 978-1-91027-774-4 with its yummy “orange” carrot nose. The final two pages review the colors, spelled out letter by letter, and the names Can you find the smiling purple of the pictured items (gloves, scarves, carrots, etc.) and invite eggplant in a page filled with different readers to count how many times each appears. shades of purple? The basketball in a Brief—but surprisingly useful, and adorable to boot. similarly orange page? (Board book. 1-3) Each double-page spread in this large search-and-find book focuses on a different color, hiding everyday objects for children to find. “Can you find it in...yellow?” Six different objects, animate and inanimate, shown on each right hand page are hidden on the opposite one, concealed in the asym- metrical, complex, mosaiclike pieces of different shapes and in many vibrant shades of that one color. For yellow, they are a bee, a slice of lemon, a block of cheese, a duck, a banana, and a pencil. A bonus question at the bottom of the page shows one shape—for yellow, a diamond—for readers to find as well. Although most of the objects are familiar to young children, their shapes are spiky and angular, in keeping with

132 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - iss... iss... K ump, on snow we we snow on ump, J oom,” for example). Rhymed riddles with lift-the-flap An art book, an autumn book, a discover-the-world-around-you book, discover-the-world-around-you all RIDDLE DIDDLE FARM Shore, Diane Z. & Calvert, Deanna Diane Z. & Calvert, Shore, Shopsin, Tamara & Fulford, Jason & Fulford, Tamara Shopsin, Phaidon (24 pp.) $9.99 | Aug. 21, 2018 Aug. $9.99 | $18.95 | Sep. 17, 2018 $18.95 | Sep. 17, A PILE OF LEAVES Illus. by Bauer, Stephanie by Bauer, Illus. Illus. by the authors Illus. 978-1-68152-406-1 978-0-7148-7720-4 Amicus Ink (10 pp.) Amicus Ink 4) - augh, we snap this.” like of Most the featured rooom” and “Z rooom” L ce we bark, in water we we water in bark, we ce I 4) ick, we - L Published in association with the Whitney Museum of Not Not perfect but maybe just right for a raucous reading Readers Readers can guess at and reveal the identities of five As the book starts, young readers are told, pile “A of book. 2 Some children may be inspired to tuck in their own little barnyard friends in its two-page set pieces: a rhymed riddle, both picture and word form. The rhyme scheme and meter bugs, and objects in the leaf pile, the last double-page spread double-pagespread last the pile, leaf the in objects and bugs, board-framed acetate pages makes up the pile. Each see- leaves is like a collage. Each layer adds something new and hides something underneath.” When children turn to the kinds of leaves, an acorn, ants, a a grasshopper, worm, a mit locomotion (“V locomotion vary a bit; caregivers would do well to practice before sharing sharing before practice to well do would caregivers bit; varya rolled into one. rolled into next page they’re in for a delightful surprise. Indeed there identifies each. is a pile of leaves, but what a pile of leaves it is! A series of sans solution, on the verso and a relatively easy-to-open flap sounds are utterances, although a few describe an animal’s ten, ten, and someone’s lost As key. the pile on the recto gets For sight. plain in hide treasures simple many so where them, those curious to know the names of the different leaf types, through page has an image As or children two uncover on it. the layers by turning the pages, they encounter different on the facing page that conceals the answer, presented in or 12. (Board book. 1 on occasion, abandon meter to an awkward and confusing answers offer guessing-game gigglesanswers for toddlers. additions to the pile. What a wonderful way to invite chil- deconstructed, deconstructed, the pile on the verso builds up in reverse. around world the also but book, this just not explore to dren degree: “On degree: / We We / American Art, this own is book its little art. of work (Board - - hirp hirp C | 1 january 2019 | 133 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books oo. / We oo. / We C Pester, David Pester, 2) - itedly twitter.” Most of - aaah, we B oo!” Each featured letter of D A A lift-the-flap and press-the-button uzz, we B Series: Scholastic Early Learners LOOK WHO’S TALKING WHO’S LOOK Cartwheel/Scholastic (14 pp.) Seltzer, Eric Seltzer, Scholastic Inc. Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (24 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster $7.99 | Jul. 3, 2018 | Jul. $7.99 $14.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 Aug. $14.99 | ARF! BUZZ! CLUCK! Illus. by Creighton Illus. 978-1-5344-1297-2 978-1-338-28396-9 A Rather Noisy Alphabet Noisy A Rather rf, rf, we A luck and cock-a-doodle C Each page in this large-format board book features a dif- This book struggles to do too much at once, and as a This “rather noisy alphabet” invites a spirited, call-and- A beastly cacophony of read-aloud fun from A to Z. to A beastly of read-aloud fun from cacophony A Sign Language standard. board book that includes photographs alongside illustrations of illustrations alongside photographs includes that book board be of some use in families with very limited English, they barnyard to brook to forest to glacier Africanto veldt. Great brush up on their animal sounds and their ABCs at the same loud, growling tiger wears a big, warm grin—a variety of ani- have matching, corresponding pictures and text. Thank result, it buries the illustrations of the signs, arguably the most valuable part. (Board book. 6 mos. poetry the text is not, but it is serviceable at least most of white. white. As companion to each page and featured word, the named object on the flap is the illustration of how to sign rhymed but generally appealing board The book. action plays response reading from caregivers and young children, who can can who children, young and caregivers from reading response it and an additional photograph that depicts a baby with much clearer and easier to understand than the tiny versions versions tiny the than understand easierto and clearer much mals squeak, chirp, and howl their way through this unevenly sound buttons accessible at all times to the right of the recto recto the of right the to times all at accessible buttons sound that object. While the photographs of the babies are fairly ticing the words. The ticing final the two words. pages cram together 15 small the time: “We time. Rendered in cartoonish but friendly fashion—even the the alphabet is capitalized in context, even when it’s not the the rhymes flow pretty smoothly, although the does, text out over a series of two-page scenes in settings that range from range that settings in scenes two-page of series a over out also discourage a caregiver’s reading aloud or a child prac at the end. It’s not clear how these “baby signs,” as they’re and diverse, the children signing in the illustrations are mostly ferent typical baby first word. Beneath the picture of the fully, fully, these sounds also have an off switch; while they may described on the back of the book, relate to the American flaps and signs. The larger illustrations and descriptions are first letter of theword, as in, “we eX 25 words with baby signs. 25 words to avoid tripping over the occasional bit of overcomplicated MERRY CHRISTMAS phrasing: “I’m the morning ALARM / heard out on the Sirett, Dawn FARM. / Wake up! I cock-a-doodle-dooed, SIR. / Keep the DK Publishing (14 pp.) gate SHUT / or out I will STRUT / I’m proud to be such a $5.99 | Sep. 18, 2018 fine....” A peek behind the flap on the next page reveals the 978-1-4654-7282-3 answer: a brightly colored, crowing rooster. On a practical Series: Baby Touch and Feel level, by the time a child has managed to locate and lift the flap, the rhythm of the line is disrupted, losing some of the A shiny board-book package for momentum of the rhyme. Other rhymes are simpler and baby’s first Christmas. more straightforward, though, and funnier, too: “I wallow in Each page displays one clear, simple picture of an object MUD / and eat lots of CRUD / For slop, my appetite’s BIG. / traditionally associated with a secular Christmas: bells, a star, You think I STINK? / I’m tickled PINK! Oinkity-oink! I’m a toy elf, and reindeer, among others. Caregivers will almost a....” The wallowing pig and other farm animals are stylized automatically focus on the developmentally appropriate task but recognizable; the colors are bright and earthy. Com- of naming objects, since they are labeled in a large lowercase panion title Riddle Diddle Safari shares both this volume’s type below each picture. Descriptive phrases in a smaller strengths and its weaknesses. font that curve around the pictures provide ways to extend Uneven but fun. (Board book. 2-5) (Riddle Diddle Safari the conversation with a little one: “star / so sparkly!” Toddlers 978-1-68152-407-8) will quickly discover the textures embedded in each picture. The snowman’s scarf has a soft patch. The Christmas stocking and Santa’s sack are both partially made of red fabric. How- DIWALI LIGHTS ever, many of the tactile elements are quite subtle. The silver Singh, Rina ornaments and bows on a green Christmas tree are just slightly Orca (24 pp.) raised; bells on Santa’s sleigh are just shiny gold. The fluffy fur $9.95 | Aug. 28, 2018 on “a cuddly...Christmas toy” labeled “puppy” may not sur- 978-1-4598-1908-5 vive Christmas morning. Its threads easily pull loose and will almost certainly find their way into baby’s mouth. (The book Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of is not labeled for ages 3 and up, implying it’s been vetted for the largest Hindu festivals, and it’s cel- choke hazards; the hairs are extremely wispy and fine.) The ebrated all around the world; this nonfiction board book pres- thick pages are sturdy, the layout is clean, and the familiar ents its sights, sounds, and celebrations. objects are recognizable. Each page of brief, often rhyming text is paired with a Add this one to baby’s first Christmas stocking.(Board vivid photograph depicting wide-eyed toddlers and young chil- book. 6 mos.-2) dren of the Indian diaspora, with dark hair and skin of varying shades of brown. These photographs are the best feature of this book. The text, as narrated by an adult to a young child, talks SHARING DOES about the various aspects of the Diwali celebration, including NOT COMPUTE new clothes, prayers, henna, sweets, firecrackers. It occasion- Slack, Michael ally reads awkwardly, and readers may have to hunt for rhymes: Illus. by the author “Buy diyas, candles / and paper lanterns.// Henna for hands / Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (36 pp.) and rangoli sand.” With its focus on very young children, the $7.99 | Oct. 2, 2018 book shows how Diwali is celebrated rather than why. However, 978-1-5344-0569-1 notably absent is the holiday’s important community aspect. Series: Standroid & Dandroid And although there are multiple mentions of diyas, these beautiful clay lamps that are a highlight of this festival are neither Two robot buddies struggle to share a remote-control car. depicted nor explained; neither are such other specialized Standroid and Dandroid, a pair of robots constructed vocabulary as “jaan” or “rangoli.” A short note at the back of the from lightly detailed simple shapes, one in fuchsia and one in book gives a smidge more information for older children. There gold, are “powered up” to play. At first, their individual games are not many board books for very young kids on this topic, and all mesh to create even better playtimes, as when one’s soap this one is not everything it could have been. and the other’s water combine to make supercool bubbles, The photographs carry this board book even though but a difficult-to-share remote-control car causes tension. the presentation and text disappoint. (Board book. 2-4) For inanimate objects, the expressive motion lines and evoca- tively angled circular eyes against white background make the robots’ many emotions abundantly clear. They are never more so than when the increasingly jealous fuchsia robot (which is which is never entirely clear) declares that “sharing does not compute.” A tussle erupts, and the remote comes apart, revealing a “secret button” inside. Chagrined, they decide to press

134 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - - - - (Board book.

This ambitious board book aims to Alternating pages Alternating posterior the show promote promote an eclectic appreciation for music of all kinds. WHOSE BUM? WE ARE MUSIC Orca (24 pp.) Stosuy, Brandon Stosuy, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (32 pp.) Schuster Little Simon/Simon & $9.95 | Sep. 18, 2018 $8.99 | Aug. 21, 2018 Aug. $8.99 | Illus. by the author Illus. Illus. by Radford, Nick by Radford, Illus. Tougas, Chris Tougas, 978-1-4598-1647-3 978-1-5344-0941-5 Pen-and-ink cartoons of each animal appear againsthighly appear animal each of cartoons Pen-and-ink Music, Music, from drumming to computer-generated sound, is The history of music is a big topic, and more-nuanced 4) - lines that give hints as The to their pos blue environs. lizard’s half-naked half-naked drummers and European court figures reading, priate language. The first two spreads read: “We start with clap- The firstlanguage. two spreadspriate read: “We ping, tapping, and drums. // Lutes, flutes, andwords are what pean style is reinforced in glossaryStosuy’s of music terms. He we become.” The accompanying illustrations show, respectively, respectively, illustrationsshow, accompanying The become.” we writing, and playing a flute. Both spreads feature both brown- saturated, saturated, solid-colored backgrounds with white-lined out introduced introduced as a linear historical sequence with two pages reducing such a wide range of musical styles to - toddler-appro rocks, sticks, bones, and...voices,” while “Renaissance Music” is Music” “Renaissance while and...voices,” bones, sticks, rocks, ing dachshund on almost every spread, presumably to enhance styles and garb commonly associated with each type of music. innocent enough, but the implication that clapping and drumming are somehow less civilized or sophisticated than a - Euro skinned and pale-skinned figures.At first reading this seems terior terior appears over a medium-green backdrop on the recto turn of the page, readers learn the answer as they the see, frontthe lizard fromnow, clinging to the same white-outlined tree branch against the same color background as the previ- trayed as children, many with darker skin tones and with hair tion slightly with each new musical style but including a danc ous page. The pattern continues with animal after animal until until animal after animal with continues pattern The page. ous orchestral, blues, and more. Most of the musicians are por as the white, lowercase text reads “whose bum?” With the child appeal. Unfortunately, the book just can’t succeed in and then the anterior of a variety of creatures. and then the anterior explanation is needed than the format allows. devoted devoted to each of 11 styles, including medieval European, describes “Prehistoric Music” as “rhythmic music [made] with defined as “multiple melodies played at the same time.” finally readers see a diapered backside, and the page-turn Radford Radford works in a retro cartoon mode, varying his presenta- 2 - - - 78628 - rosa loves cars loves rosa 1 - Rosa and Rosa | 1 january 2019 | 135 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 5; Rosa Rides Her Scooter: Rides Her 5; Rosa - 3) 126 - - Rosa Rides Her Scooter. Rides Her And Rosa in 78628 - (Rosa (Rosa Loves Dinosaurs: 978 1 -

favorite activities buck gender stereotypes. buck gender activities favorite 3) As with Spanyol’s stellar Clive books, Rosa’s Clive books, stellar Spanyol’s As with - Series: All About Rosa Rosa About All Series: ROSA LOVES CARS LOVES ROSA Child’s Play (14 pp.) Child’s Spanyol, Jessica Spanyol, $4.99 | Oct. 1, 2018 Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-78628-125-8 4) - 123 - (Board book. 1 78628 - 1; Rosa Plays Ball: 978 Ball: Plays 1; Rosa 1 The robot’s livelyTherobot’s antics areamusing, thestorybutfeels The toddler races toy cars, jumps monster trucks, and As with Spanyol’s stellar Clive books, favorite Rosa’s activi- An effervescent celebration of play in the early - - black; Biba, who has light-brown skin and straight, black hair; builds a car out of a cardboard box with her buddies in what looks like a day care or preschool setting. Spanyol’s lines, childlike soft palette, and chunky figures are as cheerful ever. as with exclamations from Rosa and her chums: “Rosa and Mar years. never actually model any sharing; rather it’s the improb- isfying. Though the androids declare their decision to share, mets) roll through the pages of seems intended more for adult readers than the child audience. child the than readers adult for more intended seems sequence”—is sequence”—is bewilderingly confusing, and the two androids yellow eyeglasses. Her friends include Samira, who uses a wheel- a uses who Samira, friendsinclude Her eyeglasses.yellow the phrase used—“Overriding self mode. / Initiating share the button together, which starts a raucous laser show and toss about with her friends outside. toss ties buck gender stereotypes. overly mechanical. (Board book. 1 equally charming titles accompany this offering. In chair and is likely of South Asian descent; Mustafa, who appears who Mustafa, descent; Asian South of likely is and chair cel cel play in the sandpit. ‘Dig-a-dig, dig-a-dig, scoop!’ sings Rosa.” on sophisticated tech words such as “sensors” and “activate” collection of toy dinosaurs. Rosa and her buds (all wearing hel- and Sarah and Marcel, who both present white. Three other able secret button that saves the Read day. aloud, the achieves book an appropriately robotic tone, but an overreliance Rosa has Rosa brown skin and and black, she curly wears bright hair, Her Dinosaurs, the Her heroine dons a purple dress and plays with a pushes a Ball, cart Rosa Plays with various kinds of balls Rosa to The text is mostly straightforward, simple narration peppered 978 124 “dance party.” It’s a feel-good ending for sure, but it’s also unsat also it’s but sure, for ending feel-good a It’s party.” “dance Whether readers have brown skin or light skin, are mothers, fathers, or elders, this book—with its kisses and its concept of counting—is “as welcome as the light from the sun.” kiss by kiss / octêtôwina

reveals it belongs to a baby with an ochre complexion and a KISS BY KISS / OCÊTÔWINA wisp of black hair. Tougas’ cartoons are pleasingly round, if a A Counting Book for Families little serious of expression (few are shown smiling), and con- (English and Cree Edition) sistent in shape. Nevertheless, most of these critters, which Van Camp, Richard include a turtle, a bunny, a puppy, and teddy bear, are distinct Trans. by Collins, Mary Cardinal enough to be easily recognized. Orca (26 pp.) Pleasingly cheeky. (Board book. 1-3) $9.95 | Sep. 18, 2018 978-1-4598-1621-3

DOT, STRIPE, SQUIGGLE A dual-language counting book in Plains Cree “Y” dialect Tuttle, Sarah Grace and English for the board-book crowd. Illus. by Nerlove, Miriam Starting at kiss No. 1 and counting to 10, smooches between Creative Editions/Creative Company children and their caregivers, or from one child to another, stir (28 pp.) tenderness within and bring smiles to readers’ faces. Pictures $8.99 | Aug. 21, 2018 that fill and spill off the edge of the versos invite readers and lis- 978-1-56846-325-4 teners into intimate family moments. Astute readers will notice a diverse set of families and individuals depicted in the photo- Nine different marine animals are graphs, including couples that are perhaps adoptive, biracial, or featured in detail with emphasis on their gay parents, and more than a few of the images appear to be of dots, stripes, and squiggles. First Nations or Indigenous American children and their care- What begins as a set of three simple, colored dots at the takers. Those hoping to see the Plains Cree language featured opening of the book grows to become the dots, stripes, and above the English will have to wait for any potential sequels. squiggles of different underwater creatures. After the col- However, the Plains Cree “Y” dialect is printed in a sans-serif ored dots (one in each primary color), readers see close-up font, clearly distinguishing it from the English though nearly snippets of each animal—a head, a tail, fins, tentacles, claws— similar in pitch, and key words in English are printed in a simi- before each is revealed in its entirety. Nerlove’s vibrant larly colored manner to its Plains Cree translation. Whether watercolor illustrations are presented on a stark white readers have brown skin or light skin, are mothers, fathers, or background on each double-page spread, allowing readers elders, this book—with its kisses and its concept of counting— to really take in each tiny sucker on the blue-ringed octo- is “as welcome as the light from the sun,” as Van Camp’s (Tlicho pus and every spine on the zebra lionfish. The opening color Dene) text aptly puts it. palette of the three dots in red, blue, and yellow is echoed A wonderful expression of love and welcome song of in each of the subsequent illustrations, subtly hidden in the hope manifested in a book about counting kisses. (Plains yellow striping on the eel and the blue dots on the jewel dam- Cree glossary) (Board book. 6 mos.-2) selfish. The rhythmic movement of Tuttle’s repetitive “dot, stripe, squiggle” in various iterations invites readers to point and observe, although they may do little else. The real stars I AM A ZAMBONI MACHINE here are the lifelike illustrations, and the words certainly get Viola, Kevin out of the way. A really clear, simple illustrated key to the Illus. by Migliari, Paola & Rigo, Laura animals pictured closes out the book, presenting names as Cartwheel/Scholastic (8 pp.) bold and unusual as the animals themselves. $5.99 | Aug. 28, 2018 Curious, observant young readers will love the impres- 978-1-338-27773-9 sive artwork, which is ultimately the standout in this board book. (Board book. 1-3) Learn how Zambonis clean ice in this awkwardly shaped book. In the voice of the Zamboni, dull pronouncements about each step of the ice-cleaning process give readers a rudimentary but adequate overview of how the vehicle works. The book is cut into the shape of a Zamboni machine (and driver), but the unusual format adds nothing of substance and even detracts from the story. Each page turn removes a section of the Zam- boni, but the image under the cutaway doesn’t necessarily match, creating pages with two confusingly juxtaposed scenes. Though the pages are thick, they are prone to fraying, and the edges remain sharp and jab fingers painfully, especially around the severe cuts defining the driver’s face. The pen-and-ink–style digital art is underwhelming, and attempts to make the art feel lively fall flat. A puppy sitting next to the driver is far too

136 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - wondrous 3) - ” But you! with no mod- believe in A simple rhyming A board book covers 18 mos.)18 Cartwheel/Scholastic (14 pp.) $6.99 | Oct. 30, 2018 $6.99 | Oct. 30, Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-338-04536-9 YOU ARE MY SWEETHEART YOU Wan, Joyce Wan, - (Board book. 6 Sweetness with no substance. (Board book. 1 There’s nothing abundantly original in this book, but Wan’s glitter-encrusted board book is a sweet, delicious ode delicious sweet, a is book board glitter-encrusted Wan’s bols of love, drawn in bold lines with sweet cartoon expressions. cartoon sweet with lines bold in drawn love, of bols baked. It’s all well and good to tell babies to “let your “let to babies tell to good and well all It’s baked. light shine through. / Baby, I light shine through. / Baby, it’s it’s just sweet enough to earn a spot on little readers’ book reads as one rhyming poem, giving it a nice rhythm and pace. ing toward the rosebud leaves a trail in the air in the shape of simple, well-paced read is sure to elicit a smile from caregivers it does in an environment in which an emphasis on resilience early-childhoodinstructionin cheerleading rank superseding is shelves. tration. Each layout includes sweet The details: background of the pages echoes the main illustration (and even the bee fly - to pet names for a baby from “sweetie pie” to “cuddlebug.” Each Each “cuddlebug.” to pie” “sweetie from baby a for names pet to tiny roses inside the letters to match the accompanying illus start time finish,text they to thesit down with the book. From to to “let fear stand in your way” nor even any sense that other of the book’s direction to cuddle, kiss, and hug. Overall, this or leaps cunningly. It repels angry thunder clouds as it trots cheerful feel that Landing by is as the reinforced palette. pastel eling of how to overcome adversity beyond the instruction not equallybe may creatures the deserving like feels it attention, of candy it resembles. cotton ” in front of a small throng of admiring woodland animals. woodland admiring of throng small a of front in dazzle” a heart). Readers will enjoy finding new detailsto admire each and their honeybuns alike. all and loving. things sweet and “sparkle to exhorted as stars emits and rainbow a along it’s and in which empathy must be cultivated, it feels only half- double-page spread features these anthropomorphized sym- display type. The word “rosebud,” for example, is drawn with (except for the frowning thunder clouds) give the book a solidlya book the give clouds) frowningthunder the for (except The name of the focal object is highlighted by its own matching own its by highlighted is object focal the of name The The artist’s signature thick, black outlines and smiley faces Adults reading to little ones in their laps will take full advantagefull take will laps their in ones little to reading Adults , stars the | 1 january 2019 | 137 | 1 january | kirkus.com | board & baby books 4) - 3) - von Kitzing, Constanze von Kitzing, MAGICAL UNICORN MAGICAL Cartwheel/Scholastic (14 pp.) Barefoot (24 pp.) $7.99 | Sep. 1, 2018 $7.99 $6.99 | Dec. 26, 2018 THE CHILLY PENGUIN THE CHILLY Illus. by the author Illus. Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-78285-406-7 Trans. by Rosinsky, Lisa by Rosinsky, Trans. 978-1-338-33410-4 YOU ARE MY YOU Wan, Joyce Wan, magical, my little one. / Reach for the sun.” In each image, a rotund white unicorn with Dapperly topped with a black derby hat, the deli- smudgy, While an audience of young vehicle aficionados or avid A penguin tries out various methods of getting toasty before toasty getting of methods various out tries penguin A A cozy little charmer. (Board book. 1 Wan Wan takes her rhyming formula, previously applied to “You are “You Small details such as the dotted-pink cheeks that appear on both penguins’ faces during their embrace make the minimalist the make embrace their during faces penguins’ both poorly designed book. (Board book. 1 until they cross the gutter and hug will make everyone feel up of an exhausted penguin collapsed after ice-skating, defeated defeated ice-skating, after collapsed penguin exhausted an of up moon, the pumpkins, cupcakes, and more, and uses a unicorn as a vehicle rabbitlike, rabbitlike, and the American flag found on every page looks icy-blue background, looking miserably cold. Eager to solve ice ice that causes the bird to break the bottom edge of the frame. solve. Some attempts, such as knitting a fashionable red scarf, settling on the warmest way of all—a hug with a friend. skaters might be attracted, this is a disappointing and scale and perspective to create drama, from the extreme close- guin inch closer together over the course of several page turns the frosty problem, the penguin poses short, direct “what if” odd, as if a poor quality sticker were applied over the images. eventual solution, in which the protagonist and another pen- cately lined avian stands out handsomely against a marbled, are white. and-answer and-answer format for young listeners to predict and problem- and yellow stars on its rump poses gallops fetchingly, adorably, art feel rich and full. and “still chilly,” and to “stillthe unexpected chilly,” plunge through the melted for her newest outing in esteem-building. don’t quite bring don’t the heat, while others, notably building a fire directly on the ice, have unpleasant, The watery consequences. questions and then experiments with those ideas, a perfect call- flowing, rainbow-colored mane and tail, stubby yellow horn, There’s There’s a single hockey player of color; the driver and crowds “warm and Throughout, snuggly.” von Kitzing masterfully uses OPPOSITES project is a bit of a letdown as the tactile elements appear only Illus. by Wilson, Katie on every alternating page. Flowerpot Press (20 pp.) While underwhelming in its exploration of textures, $9.99 | Oct. 2, 2018 it does succeed as a playful introduction to animals of the 978-1-4867-1460-5 African savanna. (Board book. 6 mos.-2) Series: Discovery Concepts

Ten pairs of common opposing con- WHERE’S SANTA BOO? cepts are featured in this board book for toddlers, with active Yoon, Salina illustrations of diverse people of a variety of ages, hair, and skin Illus. by the author color. Random House (18 pp.) The settings, a different one on each double-page spread, $6.99 | Sep. 4, 2018 are ones that many young children are familiar with. A bus filled 978-0-525-57956-4 with people, including a woman in a hijab, goes “Over” a bridge, while a small boat goes “Under” it; children play and swim in This Christmas board book includes the “Wet” waves while others play on the “Dry” beach. There is a peekaboo game. just one capitalized word on each page, and the illustrations are Boo, a black cartoon cat first introduced in Where’s Boo done with watercolor and colored pencil in a muted multicol- (2013), sports a Santa hat on the cover. A half-circle cutout ored palette that complements the spare delivery. Some spreads reveals the hat’s fuzzy white pom-pom on the final page, but vary from the single-setting presentation, instead featuring the before they reach it, youngsters are asked whether the cat is same setting in opposing conditions. On the verso represent- hiding behind a gingerbread house, a snowman, or a toy snare ing “Hot” is a pond in summer, with kids wearing shorts and drum. The flocked puff is incorporated into each holiday scene, sleeveless dresses and eating ice cream. On the recto, “Cold,” standing in as a cookie, snowball, or smoke from a toy steam bundled-up kids skate on the same pond. Opposites are a diffi- train as the pages turn. Finally the cat is found hiding behind cult concept for young children to understand, and some of the the Christmas tree beside a fireplace decorated with Christmas pairings in this book are either too subtle or not well-portrayed, stockings. Each cheery illustration’s seasonally iconic images such as “Open” and “Closed” (umbrellas on a rainy day), “Near” give little ones much to discover and talk about. The repeated and “Far” (subway trains), and “Stop” and “Go” (halted traffic question (“Is he behind...”) allows even the youngest toddler and walking pedestrians, including a girl who uses a wheelchair). to quickly guess the response (“No, that’s a...”) and feel smart Featuring typical opposites in familiar settings, this when they correctly guess the cat’s obvious hiding place. After board book offers little new. (Board book. 1-3) a couple shared readings, they may even return to “read” the predictable story independently. The large cutout makes turning the pages easy for little fingers. TEXTURES A fine addition to holiday collections that anticipates Illus. by Wilson, Katie the excitement of the season while steering clear of both Flowerpot Press (20 pp.) religious overtones and commercial hype. (Board book. 1-3) $9.99 | Oct. 2, 2018 978-1-4867-1459-9 Series: Discovery Concepts

Youngsters can go on safari in this tactile venture. A friendly, brown-skinned “guide” waves to readers on the opening double-page spread and offers an invitation to explore the savanna. Nine tableaux follow with a textural element embedded in or affixed to every other recto. There is an encounter with a “fuzzy” zebra with soft black stripes, a “bumpy” crocodile with embossed, green vinyl for skin, and a “furry” lion mane created with flannel. One to two sentences of introductory text, written in a cordial tone, hovers above the scene, and each animal is identified with a large caption in an appealing type that has a handwritten feel. Wilson’s art is endearing, and critters look quite cuddly in her childlike style and soft, watercolor palette of pale green, yellow, blue, and brown. The adventure ends with the guide hunkering down for the night in a tent made with a canvas fabric swatch. Given that the title and the cover (with jeep tires to touch) promise a texture-rich experience, the

138 | 1 january 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult

These titles earned the Kirkus Star: INTERNMENT Ahmed, Samira Little, Brown (304 pp.) INTERNMENT by Samira Ahmed...... 139 $17.99 | Mar. 19, 2019 978-0-316-52269-4 LOVELY WAR by Julie Berry...... 141 Layla was a regular American teen- THE EVERLASTING ROSE by Dhonielle Clayton...... 143 ager until the new Islamophobic presi- YOU MUST NOT MISS dent enacted Exclusion Laws. by Katrina Leno...... 149 Muslims are being rounded up, their ONCE & FUTURE books burned, and their bodies encoded by Cori McCarthy & Amy Rose Capetta...... 150 with identification numbers. Neighbors

FEAR OF MISSING OUT by Kate McGovern...... 151 are divided, and the government is going after resisters. Layla young adult and her family are interned in the California desert along with TIN HEART by Shivaun Plozza...... 151 thousands of other Muslim Americans, but she refuses to accept the circumstances of her detention, plotting to take down the NIGHT MUSIC by Jenn Marie Thorne...... 154 system. She quickly learns that resistance is no joke: Two hijabi girls are beaten and dragged away screaming after standing up KISS NUMBER 8 by Colleen AF Venable; to the camp director. There are rumors of people being sent to illus. by Ellen T. Crenshaw...... 155 black-op sites. Some guards seem sympathetic, but can they be trusted? Taking on Islamophobia and racism in a Trump-like America, Ahmed’s (Love, Hate & Other Filters, 2018) magnetic, KISS NUMBER 8 gripping narrative, written in a deeply humane and authentic Venable, Colleen AF tone, is attentive to the richness and complexity of the social Illus. by Crenshaw, Ellen T. ills at the heart of the book. Layla grows in consciousness as she First Second (320 pp.) begins to understand her struggle not as an individual accident $17.99 paper of fate, but as part of an experience of oppression she shares Mar. 12, 2019 with millions. This work asks the question many are too afraid 978-1-59643-709-8 to confront: What will happen if xenophobia and racism are allowed to fester and grow unabated? A reminder that even in a world filled with divisions and right-wing ideology, young people will rise up and demand equality for all. (Realistic fiction. 13-18)

THE MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT Appelhans, Lenore Carolrhoda (272 pp.) $18.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-5415-1259-7

A Manic Pixie Dream Boy learns he’s more than just a label. Riley is TropeTown’s second-ever Manic Pixie Dream Boy—a subset of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. After twice deviating from his script on a job, the Council assigns Riley to mandatory group therapy with a motley crew

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 139 historical fiction gems: a promising sign for the new year

Somehow, I managed to fall in post-Reconstruction–era Washington, D.C. Rather love with history despite what than situating black history in a context that cen- happened at school. We glossed ters on the attitudes of white people, this book fol- over the experiences of immi- lows one young woman from Savannah as she pur- grants like my Greek grandpar- sues a very different life among the fashionable and ents who came through Ellis Is- intellectual elite, navigating differences that reso- land and certainly never studied nate today. the contributions of Asians even Although more than 20,000 though the Japanese-American European Jews fleeing Hitler side of my family fought in the joined the already vibrant Jew- 442nd and worked on the sugarcane plantations of ish community in Shanghai, it Hawaii. History class was something to be endured— is likely that Someday We Will apart from the deathly boring presentation, which Fly by Rachel DeWoskin (Jan. sucked the life out of any potentially interesting 22) will be the first time that stories, it was a total erasure of my family and a slog many teen (and adult) read- through a past in which no one like me (or many of ers get to know this group of my classmates) seemingly existed. people. The themes of anti- Nevertheless, I ended up majoring and getting a Semitism and refugees fearing Master’s in history, but only because I eventually en- for their lives and learning to countered teachers and professors who opened up adapt in a new culture are sadly all too relevant to cur- different vistas. Today, more than ever, history is a rent events. battleground over whose voices matter, whose lives The Weight of Our Sky by matter, whose stories are worth telling. History is Hanna Alkaf (Feb. 5) sheds important because what we believe about the past light on a pivotal event in Ma- directly shapes the present we think we inhabit and laysian history: the race riots the future we believe we should build. that began on May 13, 1969, Even if many textbooks remain incomplete (or and tore apart this multicul- worse), I am heartened by some original and engag- tural nation. Focusing on one ing works of historical fiction coming out in early teen girl caught in the midst 2019. They offer teen readers glimpses into less fre- of the chaos, this is a story quently covered settings, show how exciting histo- of mental health struggles ry can be, fill in curricular gaps, and highlight strug- and strangers crossing ethnic gles that are relevant to the boundaries to form bonds of present day. While certain trust in a time of crisis. It’s a well-trodden topics contin- tough and honest read that showcases Asian history ue to be milked for material, for a change. —L.S. I hope these titles are a sign that more surprises are in Laura Simeon is the young adult editor. store. Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden (Jan. 8) explores the intricacies of social class within the Afri- can-American community of

140 | 1 january 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | of Manic Pixie Dream Girls. There, he falls for Zelda, of the LOVELY WAR Geek Chic subtype, and finds an unanticipated group of friends. Berry, Julie However, something’s not quite right in TropeTown, and Riley Viking (512 pp.) has to decide if he is willing to risk termination to learn the $18.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 truth about TropeTown and protect the Manic Pixies. Under- 978-0-451-46993-9 developed worldbuilding and a general lack of subtlety leaves elements of characterization and plot unsatisfying. There is Love’s enduring power faces off plenty of discussion about the concept of Manic Pixies, but any against the horrors of war in this sump- attempted critique is undermined by the continued centering tuous Greek mythology–inspired roman- of Riley, a male character who finds himself through the help of tic page-turner. secondary women characters. Barely-veiled digs at John Green’s In a Manhattan hotel on the eve of many Manic Pixies abound; a painfully self-conscious discus- World War II, Hephaestus catches his sion arises between white characters exploring the similarities wife, Aphrodite, in a compromising position with his brother and differences between Manic Pixies and racist tropes like the Ares. To exonerate herself of the crime of adultery, she weaves an Magical Negro as well as the benefits and detriments of tropes intricate tale of mortal love during wartime that demonstrates as representation. A few of the women characters have been in the endurance of the human spirit. Vacillating between the same-sex relationships, and characters default to white. present and the past, the goddess’s narrative centers on Aubrey, Ultimately, just as frustrating, underdeveloped, and an African-American musician; Colette, a Belgian singer; Hazel, problematic as the trope this novel tries to interrogate. a wide-eyed British pianist; and her paramour, James, an aspir- (Speculative fiction/satire. 13-17) ing architect (the latter three are white), who are all brought

together by happenstance during the First World War. The young adult resulting interweaving story is an epic of Shakespearean emo- THE QUIET YOU CARRY tional depth and arresting visual imagery that nonetheless dem- Barthelmess, Nikki onstrates the racism and sexism of the period. Scheherazade has Flux (352 pp.) nothing on Berry (The Emperor’s Ostrich, 2017, etc.), whose acute $14.99 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 eye for detail renders the glittering lights of Paris as dreamlike 978-1-63583-028-6 in their beauty as the soul-sucking trenches on the French front are nightmarishly real. The mortal characters are all vibrant, To her confusion, 17-year-old Victoria original, and authentic, but none is more captivating than the is ripped from her father and stepmoth- goddess of love herself, who teaches her husband that love is an er’s home in Reno by Child Protective art form worthy of respect and admiration. Services in the middle of the night. An unforgettable romance so Olympian in scope, Placed in foster care, she must focus human at its core, and lyrical in its prose that it must be on completing high school and applying divinely inspired. (Fiction. 13-adult) for college while wrestling with whether to share the truth of what happened that night with anyone. It’s clear from early on that Victoria’s father accused her of making sexual advances on COLD DAY IN THE SUN him, but what is not clear and helps create suspense is why her Biren, Sara father now wants her out of his life and whether Victoria will Amulet/Abrams (320 pp.) come to terms with the psychological damage from her abuse $17.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 that initially leads her into denial. At first Victoria tries to keep 978-1-4197-3367-3 her foster care status a secret at school, but circumstances make this increasingly difficult. She then starts to consider the danger It’s not easy being the only girl on the her 14-year-old stepsister might still be in. Debut novelist Bar- boys’ varsity hockey team. thelmess has written multifaceted characters that are believ- It’s especially difficult when your able, particularly Victoria, her strict foster mother, and her arrogant team captain calls you a nick- troubled foster sister, Jamie. Slightly less believable, because name you hate, townspeople are free with they are unfailingly kind, understanding, and wise, are Victoria’s their opinions about how you shouldn’t new friend Latinx Christina (the sole character of color) and her be allowed to play with the boys, and your journalism teacher love interest, a boy named Kale. Victoria’s first-person voice is is riding you hard about the articles you’re producing. Holland strong and appealing, and her story is a positive addition to the isn’t having a great time of it, and when that same arrogant sparse YA literature on foster care. team captain turns out to be the piece that’s been missing in This hard-to-put-down novel takes on grim topics her life—well, love doesn’t exactly make things any easier. Now, unflinchingly but also gives readers hope that honesty and in addition to having to prove herself over and over in terms kindness will prevail. (resources) (Fiction. 12-18) of her hockey skills, she also has to prove that she isn’t getting special favors because she’s dating the captain. A fun romp of a teen romance via an exciting hockey season, this book has all

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 141 the right ingredients—a spunky, multifaceted main character, a XL love interest who turns out to be a decent individual, and plenty Brown, Scott of internal and external conflict. Some of the lines feel a little Knopf (320 pp.) timeworn, but overall the plot whips along with verve, driven $17.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 by fully embodied characters who chase after love like they’re 978-1-5247-6624-5 chasing after a puck. The cast presents as white and includes a gay partnership. When you surpass the scale to which A teenage love story steamy enough to melt the ice in you’ve drawn your ideal self, are you man the rink. (Fiction. 14-18) or monster? 4’11” isn’t a height, it’s a sequence of numbers that makes growth-stunted SKY WITHOUT STARS Will Daughtry invisible in high school’s Brody, Jessica & Rendell, Joanne wild kingdom. His diminutive height is countered by a hearty Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster (624 pp.) wit, his defense against the pain of not getting what he really $19.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 wants: a girl and a growth spurt. The girl, Monica, is brainy, 978-1-5344-1063-3 beautiful, and unfettered in San Diego’s domestic homogeny. Series: System Divine, 1 They’ve been pals since he and his best friend–cum-stepbrother, Drew, discovered an uncharted beach with her, solidifying their Political and romantic intrigues bond as a trio. When Will gets the courage to break the vows ignite when three young people’s lives of their rule book à trois and 1) deceive Drew 2) ask Monica intersect in the slums of Laterre, one of out, he falters only to have the nail of failure driven further in the 12 planets humans settled after the when Drew and Monica hook up instead. With their triptych First World ended. fractured, a monstrous frustration mounts in Will—so does an This first installment in an ambitious epic modeled afterLes appetite and subsequent growth. Will meets another challenge: Misérables depicts a futuristic society with a class system loosely His ego is growing, too, and the three that once were, might modeled on the estates of pre-Revolutionary France and a thriv- possibly never be again. Will’s first-person narration is ripe with ing criminal underbelly policed by a fearsome cyborg inspecteur. a humor that marries dry wit, invented vocabulary, and an hon- Brown-haired, gray-eyed thief Chatine, the daughter of a dan- est-to-goodness good time even when things are dreadful. The gerous gang leader, is known in public as a boy called Théo, but son of a zoologist, Will examines his Californian enclosure like her real identity is not her only secret. A chance encounter with a brash and bawdy Goodall. Will, Drew, and most secondary the handsome, dark-haired grandson of a high-ranking Sec- characters are white; Monica is cued Latinx. ond Estate general leads to her being hired to spy on Marcel- A coming-of-height specimen whose humor you won’t lus, whose father was in the Vangarde, a resistance group. The outgrow. (Fiction. 13-18) use of an old written language for secret communications by the resistance is a compelling element. Meanwhile, dark-haired Alouette, who never knew her mother, is tech-savvy and kind. DEAR ALLY, HOW DO YOU Raised by a mysterious order that protects the books and his- WRITE A BOOK? tories of the First World, she is curious about the world outside Carter, Ally the Refuge but finds herself in over her head when she sneaks Scholastic (336 pp.) out and meets Marcellus. The authors play with formulaic ele- $18.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 ments to freshen the story. Skin color is rarely mentioned, and 978-1-338-21226-6 the book seemingly defaults to white despite the presence of black people in early modern France. A nonfiction how-to guide for teen A fast-paced, immersive, and imaginative romp. (maps) writers by popular YA author Carter (Not (Science fiction. 12-18) If I Save You First, 2018, etc.). Presented in an accessible question- and-answer format, Carter walks young readers comprehensibly and comprehensively through the steps of writing a novel, beginning with planning, worldbuilding, characters, and plot and ending with editing and a wholly realistic look at publishing. Breezy and honest, she encourages her audience to focus on the joy of writing, not the potential monetary rewards, and stresses repeatedly that there are many different ways to approach a story: “You have one job, and that’s to find the process that works for you.” Along the way, she addresses questions to and gathers data from a diverse crew of 30 established YA authors, among them Z Brewer, David Levithan,

142 | 1 january 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | Thrills of action, magic, romance, and revolution. the everlasting rose

Soman Chainani, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Murphy, and Jay Coles. QUARANTINE Several pages are devoted to the timely and important question A Love Story of writing characters who are different from oneself, whether in Cicatelli-Kuc, Katie gender, ethnicity or other ways. Unfortunately, the section on Scholastic (336 pp.) story structure presents the classic Western three-act narrative $17.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 as universal, a disservice to aspiring writers who may wish to 978-1-338-23291-2 explore forms from other cultural traditions. Entertaining and informative charts showing answers from her guest contribu- Despite the title’s promise, romance tors reinforce the myriad ways there are to succeed as a writer. takes too long to blossom. Written in a friendly style, this guide contains plenty of On their way home to Brooklyn from information and encouragement; fledging writers are well- the Dominican Republic, Flora Thorn- served. (table of contents, contributor biographies, glos- ton, who is assumed white, kisses half- sary) (Nonfiction. 12-18) Mexican/(presumably) half-white Oliver Russell, and the two teenagers, who are diagnosed with a rare form of mononucleosis dubbed “tropical mono,” are forced into quarantine together in FAT ANGIE a Miami hospital. (It’s not clear how tropical mono differs from Rebel Girl Revolution regular mono.) In actuality, Flora figured that quarantine would Charlton-Trujillo, e.E. be a much-needed break from her life, so she messed with her Candlewick (352 pp.) thermometer reading to make it look as though she had a fever. $16.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 To help Oliver elicit the attention of his crush, Kelsey, Flora

978-0-7636-9345-9 comes up with a hashtag, #quaranteens, to share their experi- young adult Series: Fat Angie, 2 ences on social media. Along with Flora’s and Oliver’s mothers, Kelsey becomes a regular visitor to the #quaranteens—visitors When everything’s awful inside and are permitted (although kissing them is off limits) as long as out, how can you take the bull by the they wear protective gear. It is clear from the outset that Kelsey horns? is only interested in Oliver because she hopes that he will gar- Angie’s girlfriend has moved away. ner her attention on social media. Chapters alternate between Angie’s war-hero sister was killed by terrorists in Iraq (Fat Angie, Flora’s and Oliver’s points of view and are not long enough for 2013, etc.), and glossy local and national tributes leave Angie readers to fully invest in either protagonist for long. alone and confused in her grief. Angie’s mother mourns “the By the time Oliver and Flora finally get together, read- good one” of her children, restricts Angie’s food, and threatens ers will have lost interest in this novel’s obvious conclusion. Angie with gay conversion therapy. When Angie breaks a bully’s (Romance. 12-18) nose in self-defense, witnesses lie and Angie faces legal prosecution. Depression, anxiety, panic, betrayal—how can Angie get out from under? A road trip—emotionally messy and awkward, THE EVERLASTING with an ex-friend who ghosted her, one of the lying witnesses, ROSE and someone who films everything. With legal prosecution and Clayton, Dhonielle conversion therapy looming, Angie stumbles her way through Freeform/Disney (352 pp.) a road trip itinerary left by her dead sister. Charlton-Trujillo’s $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 mildly unorthodox prose style features extra hyphens (“surpris- 978-1-4847-2848-2 ing-not-surprising,” “loud-loud,” Angie’s “couldn’t-understand Series: The Belles, 2 mother”). While less funny than Fat Angie, this has hilarious moments: If a sign says, “DO NOT FLUSH / FEMININE The sequel to Clayton’s The Belles FEMALE PRODUCTS,” could you flush a “butch tampon”? (2018) freezes blood and steals breath. Angie’s white; her fellow RV-ers are a racially diverse group. With the capricious and conniv- Fortunately and refreshingly, the text gives Angie no weight- ing Princess Sophia poised to seize the loss arc; unfortunately, the use of fatness as a misery symbol throne and already capturing Belles in her obsessive greed and throughout dilutes the explicit self-acceptance ending. ploy for domination, Camille, her sisters, and the young soldier A welcomingly awkward, offbeat journey for a “gay-girl Rémy are all fugitives. Orléans society is in a frantic uproar try- gay” girl with many heartaches. (Fiction. 12-16) ing to stay in the soon-to-be queen’s mercurial favor, and as the orderly veneer of an economy of beauty trade crumbles away to fully reveal its darker, underlying structures of enslaved magical labor and implicit violence, the dehumanizing attitudes Sophia emboldens throughout the kingdom endanger Belles everywhere. Camille knows her only hope is to find the recently awakened Princess Charlotte, who is the rightful heir, but as Camille realizes the horrifying extent of Sophia’s cruelty and

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 143 A swashbuckling steampunk mashup. the last voyage of poe blythe

as her own actions and alliances grow more questionable, it BRAWLER becomes clear that putting things right may cost her everything Connelly, Neil she has known, about her world and herself. The opulence of Levine/Scholastic (320 pp.) Clayton’s world gives way here to the stark contrast of its sin- $17.99 paper | Mar. 26, 2019 ister underbelly of material beauty and class oppression. Nar- 978-1-338-15775-8 rative craft that can hold the tension of the implicit (and sorely lacking) value of black and brown features as beautiful as it High school wrestler Eddie MacIntyre’s intertwines with incisive commentary on the overall commodi- scholarship-filled future evaporates the fication of beauty is no small feat, and Clayton manages thrills moment he loses control in a violent out- of action, magic, romance, and revolution as well. burst at the Pennsylvania state semifinals. Beauty comes at a price; so too does freedom. (Fantasy. Facing arrest, Mac, who is white, 14-18) accepts a shady offer to join a secret fighting organization called the Brawlers, a lucrative mixed martial arts–style organization that broadcasts ultraviolent, THE LAST VOYAGE OF pay-per-view fighting matches on the internet. Leaving his POE BLYTHE mother behind, he is given a couch to crash on with his trainer, Condie, Ally Khajee, a Thai-American high school girl, and her uncle. Chan- Dutton (336 pp.) neling his anger at his abusive father (who is currently in jail), $18.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 Mac is a natural at the brutal fights but quickly gets in over his 978-0-525-42645-5 head as he is forced to accept side jobs strong-arming and ter- rorizing the fight club owner’s business partners. Meanwhile, Revenge and rebellion collide in Khajee and her uncle are his only lifelines to the world outside this new dystopian stand-alone novel by of violence, and as their friendship grows Mac is able to face his Condie (The Darkdeep, 2018, etc.). own past and his relationship with his father. Detailed descrip- Two years ago, Poe Blythe lost her tions of brutal fights and unrepentant violence may be too best friend/budding love interest Call much for some, but Connelly (Into the Hurricane, 2017, etc.) also when raiders attacked their dredge, or gold-mining river ship. conveys the skill, training, and finesse required to win. While Focused on revenging his death, Poe has turned the Outpost’s Mac’s internal transformation and the ultimately happy ending dredges into armored, bladed machines. Unexpectedly sent on may require some suspension of disbelief, it is satisfying when the Gilded Lily’s last voyage, newly promoted Capt. Poe dis- the bad guys get their due. tances herself from her crew—older mechanic Naomi, effer- Nonstop graphic violence takes center stage in this oth- vescent cook Tam, brooding Brig (who resembles dark-haired, erwise solid story of self-discovery and redemption. (Fiction. blue-eyed Call), and curious cartographer Eira—and soon faces 14-18) both raiders on the river and a saboteur among her shipmates. The initially slow plot picks up steam when the Lily embarks, and per requisite dystopian story arc, relentless, rigid, and WHAT MAKES GIRLS SICK righteous Poe discovers dark secrets about the Outpost, sym- AND TIRED pathizes with the rebellious raiders (or drifters as they prefer De Pesloüan, Lucille to be known), and reconsiders romance. Race is barely noted— Illus. by Darling, Geneviève 17-year-old Poe has “sun-black hair” (and few other physical Second Story Press (48 pp.) descriptors), while Call, Brig, and the Outpost’s leaders appear $11.95 paper | Mar. 18, 2019 to be white. A callout to the Matched series should satisfy loyal 978-1-77260-096-4 readers while the constant twists and a cliffhanger ending will encourage new audiences to anticipate possible sequels. This Canadian import presents an A swashbuckling steampunk mashup of Mark Twain illustrated list of the negative effects and Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines Quartet. (Science fiction. of misogyny, racism, homophobia, and other prejudices that 12-18) impact the lives of girls and women. The blunt, wide-ranging text can feel repetitive as it describes girls’ reactions to the myriad expectations and limitations imposed by society on female individuals. From physical and verbal harassment to rape and murder, body shaming to economic inequality, the litany of challenges runs the risk of utterly overwhelming readers. Some statements include supporting footnotes; most are simply presented as fact. Darling’s graphic-novel–style illustrations, created in shades of lavender, purple, and white with black outlines, have a retro feel vaguely reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art. They show girls and

144 | 1 january 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | women with a variety of skin tones and body types, sometimes THE SOUND OF DROWNING interacting with others, sometimes staring out at the reader. Fleet, Katherine While there is no arguing with the accuracy of the challenges Page Street (384 pp.) cataloged, it’s difficult to imagine finding just the right audience $17.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 for this consciousness-raising manifesto. Girls already aware of 978-1-62414-711-1 inequality will likely be looking for more ideas about how to combat it. Readers who have yet to notice the existence of gen- A heartbreaking love triangle, for der- or race-based inequities or other forms of bigotry may not readers who can’t stand love triangles. be inspired to discover it here. Once, 17-year-old Meredith “Mer” The final shoutout for feminism and solidarity is a wel - Hall loved the ocean, indie music, and come positive note, but readers will have to look elsewhere especially Ben Collins, her lifelong best for ideas on how to take action. (Nonfiction. 13-18) friend–turned-boyfriend. Now she fears the sea, resents any human connection, and especially loathes herself for the way she ruined things. Still, even after hurting IZZY + TRISTAN him so badly, she treasures the few secret hours she can snatch Dunlap, Shannon with Ben; so when new boy Wyatt Quinn—handsome, cocky, Poppy/Little, Brown (336 pp.) barely hiding his own pain—starts to get close, Mer’s afraid of $17.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 risking her fragile stability. Alternating between flashbacks of 978-0-316-41538-5 her slowly developing relationship with Ben and her current efforts to cope with her crumbling life, Mer’s spiky, acerbic

“Izzy” (short for Iseult), a white Irish- narration cannot conceal the agonizing undercurrents of inse- young adult American aspiring future doctor, and curity, grief, and despair. The lushly described setting in North Tristan, a Trinidadian-American chess Carolina’s Outer Banks echoes her interior landscape: bleak, prodigy, become caught up in a risky love desolate, and subtly off-kilter. The twisty narrative avoids prob- polygon. lem-novel territory, instead engaging with and exploring the Izzy moves to Brooklyn from Man- underlying issues surrounding trust, autonomy, teenage sexu- hattan and has to adjust to her new life and the increased dis- ality, and depression frankly and nonjudgmentally, with more tance she feels from her twin brother. Tristan plays chess in the emphasis on emotional ramifications than graphic details. Sec- park at the behest of his cousin, Marcus, who makes money ondary characters (like the protagonists, apparently all default from Tristan’s wins. Hours before the two lovers meet, compli- to white) are loving and mean well but are hobbled by their own cated events lead Marcus to ask Tristan to be his wingman as he flaws and mistakes. Some readers might find the big reveal a bit woos Izzy. Later, Tristan and Izzy end up hiding their relation- over-the-top, but with Mer’s final choice—both unexpected ship from everyone—or trying to. The consequences of their and oh-so-right—a final dollop of magical realism provides a deception are broken relationships and body parts. Tristan has sweetly hopeful conclusion. to make some tough choices, finding that sometimes events are Harrowing but cathartic. (Fiction. 14-18) set in motion that we cannot control. Flowery language does nothing to hide an unbelievable romance, and some characters feel flat, seemingly introduced purely for foreshadowing and TAKING COVER plot advancement. The topic of race in this interracial romance One Girl’s Story of is not explored sufficiently, and a scene (and subsequent con- Growing Up During the versation between Tristan and his aunt) in which Izzy’s brother Iranian Revolution threatens Tristan with a knife following a chess match resulting Homayoonfar, Nioucha in the arrival of the police shows a lack of understanding of the National Geographic Kids (160 pp.) experience of black families with law enforcement. $18.99 | Jan. 1, 2019 This updated version of the medieval classic disap- 978-1-4263-3366-8 points. (Fiction. 14-18) At 5, Nioucha moves with her Iranian father and French mother from Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania, to Tehran—just three years before the revolution. Though disoriented by the move, she quickly picks up Farsi and begins to enjoy her new life surrounded by her Ira- nian family. But then the Islamic Revolution breaks out and the war with Iraq commences, and Nioucha’s life changes dramatically. Dress codes are strictly enforced, there is no more learning French, schools are segregated, and police patrol the streets looking for lawbreakers—that’s life under Ayatollah Khomeini,

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 145 INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Melissa de la Cruz

IN 29 DATES, THE WRITER CREATES A WORLD THAT BREAKS STEREOTYPES By Megan Labrise

Photo Bovee courtesy Denise that we do, and if it works out, it’s great!’ And she did make some friends from it.” It isn’t exactly working out for Kim Ji-su at the beginning of de la Cruz’s charming new YA romance, 29 Dates (Dec. 18). A rising high school senior in Seoul, Ji-su is an average student and typical teen whose affluent parents demand a bright future for their only child. To that end, they engage the services of professional matchmaker Ms. Moon, aka the Matseon Queen, to send Ji-su on a series of seons with other scions. “Ji-su grabbed her phone back and looked at the picture on the screen,” de la Cruz writes. “She wished for a reaction—her heart beating faster, a tiny stomach flip, anything. But her body remained static. There was nothing. He wasn’t not cute. He just looked like every other squeaky-clean, accomplished, coiffed son of a well-off family.” When Ji-su skips the date to attend a concert with her best friends, Min and Euni, it’s the final straw. Her -par ents send her to San Francisco to attend a progressive coed prep school (based on real-life academy Lick-Wilmerding), where she can build up her grades, get into an Ivy League college, and dutifully continue the seons. On her own in a new country, at a new school, with new friends, however—including Filipino-American Officially, Melissa de la Cruz majored in art history heartthrob Austin Velasco and handsome Korean-Amer- and English at Columbia University. Unofficially, the fu- ican lacrosse captain Dave Kang—Ji-su must determine ture No. 1 New York Times bestselling author (Alex & Eliza, her own measures of love and success. the Descendants series, etc.) studied the traditional Ko- “I wrote it to be fun, and I wanted it to be entertain- rean practice of matchmaking, with her best friend as a ing,” de la Cruz says of 29 Dates. “I wanted to show a di- primary source. verse group of kids, because those are my friends, that’s “She was dating regularly in college, and it wasn’t the life I lead. The cute guy? He’s Filipino. And the other like this was the only path,” de la Cruz says of the seon cute guy? He’s Korean. I was tired of the fictional world (matchmaking) blind dates her friend attended, arranged where everything’s a little whitewashed.” by a professional matchmaker. “It was definitely just one In 29 Dates, de la Cruz, who grew up in Manila before way to do it, a nod to her Korean heritage and respect for immigrating to San Francisco in high school, represents her parents. It was kind of like, ‘Well, this is something a panoply of Asian and American teens who defy stereo-

146 | 1 january 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | types. In an admiring review, Kirkus writes, “Characters of a range of ethnicities populate the book, and the cultural details about life in Korea are realistically drawn and impressive in their accuracy.” “If you are going to write about an experience that’s not your own, you’ve got to do a lot of research,” says de la Cruz, whose manuscript was inspired and heavily vetted by her sister-in-law, who came to the United whose version of Islam Nioucha learns is nothing like what most people practice or say of the religion. But life must go States from Korea at age 14. “It is a lot of work, but [fear] on, and so it does, but with many nights spent in the makeshift shouldn’t stop you. bomb shelter or sneaking around behind her parents’ backs and hoping not to get caught by the Zeinab Sisters or morals “I don’t get it right all the time,” she says. “Even when police. But one hot summer day, Nioucha is caught, taken in I wrote about my Filipino experience, people said, ‘Oh, a black jeep to an isolated part of Tehran, and locked up in an well, you know, [not right].’ You’re always going to abandoned building for disobeying the law. Dancing through that’s time between Nioucha’s detention by the Zeinab Sisters and get criticized. You can’t be scared of that, you can’t take her experiences acclimating to Iranian culture throughout the it in a bad way....Just think, ‘I’m going to learn from that,’ 1980s, Homayoonfar weaves a gripping coming-of-age tale set in a fraught political era that continues to affect our world or ‘That’s really a misunderstanding of my work, and I today. Family snapshots and excerpts from her diary help to stand by it.’ ” ground her story. A candid memoir that offers a personal, particular perspective on life in Tehran in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. (Memoir. 12-16)

WAITING FOR FITZ

Hyde, Spencer young adult Shadow Mountain (240 pp.) $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 978-1-62972-527-7

While seeking treatment for mental illness in a psychiatric ward, a teen con- templates the meaning of life. When her obsessive-compulsive disorder rituals become severe, 17-year-old Addie Foster must defer her senior year of high school to enter Seattle Regional Hospital’s psychiatric ward as an inpatient. Although her first-person account describes how her OCD manifests and some of her treatment plan, the focus is on her relationship with fellow patient Fitz, who suffers auditory hallucinations. An aspiring playwright, Addie becomes consumed with a homework assignment that questions Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. Issues with Fitz and the play converge as the two find fun with puns and other wordplay and notice how people are always acting and wearing masks, both on- and offstage. The story escalates when Fitz asks Addie to help him escape the hospital and find closure to a painful secret. In the process of connecting with Fitz, Addie not only begins to understand the waiting in Beckett’s play, but also life itself. This complex story of merging metaphors and symbolism is for sophisticated readers who prefer reflection to adventure. Debut novelist Hyde offsets the painful realities of mental illness with gentle surprises and such humor as Fitz’s naming his hallucinations after popular country singers. One patient is Mexican-American; the default for all other characters is white. Thoughtful and thought-provoking. (Fiction. 13-18)

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 147 THE AFTERWARD and time, contrasts well with the understated, almost deadpan Johnston, E.K. observations of The Shoveler, and the quiet decency of Mal- Dutton (352 pp.) colm and the angry snark of CanIHelpYou?, who is falling for $17.99 | Feb. 19, 2019 her biracial (half white, half black) best friend, are distinctly 978-0-7352-3189-4 different from Loretta’s odd and sexually frank musings. Family abuse and neglect and disordered substance use are part of the Lady knights return to town as lives of many of the characters here, but it’s made clear that, at heroes—and struggle with life after fame. the root, this white family has been poisoned by virulent racism. Sir Erris Quicksword returns victo- Heavily meditative, this strange and heart-wrenching rious to the city of Cadria with her six tale is stunningly original. (Fiction. 14-adult) faithful companions, having managed to find the magical godsgem and destroy the evil Old God. Welcomed home with great rewards and TRAIL OF CRUMBS acclaim, Sir Erris marries the king, and peace returns to the Lawrence, Lisa J. kingdom. Bisexual Olsa Rhetsdaughter, the one lowborn mem- Orca (256 pp.) ber, feels utterly abandoned and falls back into a life of struggle $14.95 paper | Mar. 26, 2019 and thievery. Meanwhile, apprentice knight Kalanthe Ironheart, 978-1-4598-2121-7 who is lesbian, returns from her first mission only to prepare apprehensively for marriage—likely to a wealthy man hop- Fire up your Coleman lanterns: ing for heirs and willing to pay off her family’s debt. Johnston Greta needs all the light and warmth she (That Inevitable Victorian Thing, 2017, etc.) weaves a compelling can get in this story of abandonment, fantasy world in which meticulously crafted female characters poverty, and sexual assault. slip easily between chain mail and dresses, enjoying many free- Greta and her twin, Ash, have every doms and yet facing economic and biological pressures to marry element of a tragic life: a very wicked men. The narrative flits between the great quest and “the after- stepmother, a spineless and pathetic father, and being aban- ward,” revealing the romantic love between dutiful Kalanthe doned in the middle of a brutal Edmonton winter with no heat and defiant Olsa. The characters are diverse—including trans except from an oven, no food, and no rent money. As if that and asexual representation—and many are portrayed as beauti- wasn’t enough, Greta is also suffering following a sexual assault fully dark-skinned with natural hair. Impatient readers will note and the subsequent ostracism and bullying by the cool kids at that there’s an awful lot of armor and weaponry with very little her high school. The cast of supporting characters in Greta’s questing. It’s with some relief that there’s trouble in the realm story have enough emotional issues to keep a team of psycholo- once again. gists working around the clock: Greta’s withdrawn brother, an Fascinating female characters in a richly built fantasy elderly, track-shorts–wearing landlord, his estranged tough- world that delivers slowly on adventure. (Fantasy. 13-16) talking daughter, and a lonely neighbor kid. Greta longs to re- create a family that has only been a memory for years but still possesses enough grit to get some sense of closure and justice DIG from those who harmed her. Nothing is candy-coated: The King, A.S. writing includes the blunt language one would expect in this Dutton (400 pp.) treatment of the very important topics of sexual assault and vic- $17.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 tim blaming that will resonate with and inform readers. Main 978-1-101-99491-7 characters present as white, but names suggest some diversity among Greta’s classmates. An estranged family’s tragic story is Lawrence (Rodent, 2016) has an admirable relationship incrementally revealed in this deeply sur- with the written word, and after many chapters of sharp real novel. edges and dark corners, readers will discover reason for Alternating narration among five hope. (afterword) (Fiction. 14-19) teens, many of them unnamed but for monikers like The Freak, The Shoveler, and CanIHelpYou?, as well as an older married couple, Gott- fried and Marla, and the younger of two violent and troubling brothers, an expansive net is cast. An unwieldy list of the cast featured in each part melds well with the frenetic style of this experimental work but does little to actually clarify how they fit together; the first half, at least, is markedly confusing. How- ever, readers able to relax into the chaos will be richly rewarded as the strands eventually weave together. The bitingly sardonic voice of The Freak, who seems to be able to move through space

148 | 1 january 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | Readers will ponder this exceedingly creepy tale long after turning the last page. you must not miss

THE FEVER KING Magpie’s backyard shed, she spends days there with her Step- Lee, Victoria ford-esque family—one untouched by tragedy—but as Magpie Skyscape (383 pp.) tests her new abilities, her numb, shattered heart tells her that $16.99 | Mar. 1, 2019 revenge will be sweet, no matter the cost. Poor Magpie’s spiral 978-1-5420-4017-4 is a heartbreaking example of how deep pain often masquerades Series: Feverwake, 1 as cruelty, and her actions are tragic. Leno (Summer of Salt, 2018, etc.), channeling early Stephen King at his best, offers no neat In Carolinia, one of the nations of conclusions, and her frank examination of depression, grief, the former United States, magic enters alcoholism, and the ruinous aftermath of sexual assault is grim people like a virus, mostly killing them. yet effective. Characters are presumed white. If you survive, the magic stays and Readers will ponder this exceedingly creepy gut punch you become a witching. Noam, the Jew- of a tale long after turning the last page. (Thriller. 14-adult) ish Latinx son of undocumented immigrants from neighboring Atlantia, is one. With his parents dead, Noam is brought to the witching training center, receiving personal tutoring from the IF YOU’RE OUT THERE minister of defense, Calix Lehrer. Noam sees this as an oppor- Loutzenhiser, Katy tunity to work from the inside to bring rights to the many refu- Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (320 pp.) gees who have come to Carolinia to escape the virus that still $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 plagues other areas. Fellow student Dara, a dark-skinned and 978-0-06-286567-0 beautiful teen boy, meanwhile favors an anti-refugee politician

who has a frosty relationship with Lehrer. If not for the fact that She swore she’d always put “ladies young adult Noam, who is bisexual, harbors lusty feelings for Dara and is before mateys,” then she ghosts on her sneaking around to maintain a relationship with a father figure best friend? That’s just shady. at the Migrant Center, or that no witching can be trusted if you Zan Martini and Priya Patel are don’t know what types of magic they’re good at, things would inseparable. They share a nickname be simple. Lee’s debut is a thriller with obvious allegorical con- game, a wealth of inside jokes, and years nections to today’s political climate, but it doesn’t read as mes- of happy memories. Zan knows she’ll miss Priya when she sage-y; even those with genre fatigue shouldn’t regret giving it moves to California. But when Priya ignores all her texts, phone a try. If it weren’t for the unsatisfying, obviously sequel-ready calls, and emails, Zan is devastated. All she has left is Instagram, ending, this would be a standout. but Priya’s inane, pseudo-motivational posts sound nothing like Diverse characters, frank discussions about sexual her smart, articulate self. Nearly everyone in Zan’s life counsels and mental abuse, and reasonably plausible science-based her to move on—including her therapist mom, the dad she sees magic elevate this above many dystopian peers. (Dystopian every week, the police officer who once coached her in self- science fiction. 15-18) defense, even their manager at the restaurant, whose paychecks keep bouncing from Priya’s new address. The only one willing to listen to Zan and assist her amateur sleuthing is Logan, the YOU MUST NOT MISS handsome new kid in school. But Zan’s not sure she’s ready to Leno, Katrina trust someone else with her heart, and even Logan seems to har- Little, Brown (304 pp.) bor a dark secret. Loutzenhiser’s debut is an engaging (although $17.99 | Apr. 23, 2019 not impenetrable) puzzler anchored by well-realized and 978-0-316-44977-9 endearing characters with diverse family structures. Zan, Logan, and their birth families are white. Priya’s mother is Indian, and A depressed New England teen her stepfather white. Zan’s mother has a live-in girlfriend with writes her perfect world into reality and brown skin. The supporting cast includes Latinx and Korean uses it to exact revenge. characters. Sixteen-year-old Margaret “Magpie” A light, charming mystery and a heartfelt ode to female Lewis’ father left soon after she caught friendship. (Fiction. 12-18) him having sex with her mother’s sister. Since then, Magpie’s older sister, Eryn, a college senior, has stopped communicating with her, and her mother’s drinking has gotten much worse. In addition, her ex–best friend, Allison, has shunned her and branded her as a slut after a horrid encounter with Allison’s boyfriend, Brandon. School is an afterthought, but Magpie has made new friends: Clare, whose father committed suicide; bisexual Luke; Brianna, who suffered a humiliating incident; and Ben, who is trans. Magpie also copes by writing about a place called Near. After a portal to Near manifests in

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 149 Dazzles with heroic flair, humor, and suspense. once & future

SQUAD Capetta (The Brilliant Death, 2018, etc.) and McCarthy (Now a MacCarthy, Mariah Major Motion Picture, 2018, etc.) develop complex conflicts on Farrar, Straus and Giroux (256 pp.) multiple fronts, including a passionate, whirlwind romance $18.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 between Ari and her Gweneviere. The women in the story grow 978-0-374-30750-9 together through their challenges with one another and learn from their differences. A cheerleader loses her squad but All hail this worthier-than-ever, fresh, and affirming discovers herself in MacCarthy’s debut reincarnation of the legendary king and her round table novel. of knights which dazzles with heroic flair, humor, and sus- For Jenna Watson, a junior on her pense. (Science Fiction/Fantasy. 14-adult) high school’s competitive cheer team, life is suddenly collapsing around her. After an incident at a party, Jenna’s best friend, Raejean, replaced her FUNNY, YOU DON’T with another girl on their squad. Without Raejean, she feels LOOK AUTISTIC alone and left out by the rest of the team. Desperate pleas for A Comedian’s Guide to Life Raejean’s attention escalate into sabotage and, ultimately, an on the Spectrum accident during competition that makes Jenna quit the team. McCreary, Michael Grief and loneliness take Jenna on an unexpected adventure, Annick Press (176 pp.) reconnect her with her single mom and goth brother, and help $11.95 paper | Mar. 12, 2019 her find strength to move on. While the prose is unpolished, 978-1-77321-257-9 overall MacCarthy captures the raw emotions of heartache and betrayal. Jenna’s romance with James, a transgender boy, mod- A breezy, upbeat memoir from a els consent and open communication. As her relationship with 22-year-old Canadian autism advocate James develops, Jenna seeks out information about trans expe- and stand-up comic. riences by researching on her own time rather than burdening Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 5, him with intrusive questions. Aside from background charac- McCreary is quite unlike the stereotypical Aspie (a term he uses ters the cast is predominantly white. interchangeably with autistic person, person on the spectrum, Rough writing but still a story with appeal for its and similar phrases): hopeless at math but extroverted, verbose, themes of overcoming insecurities and friendship drama. and in love with performing. He repeatedly emphasizes that (Fiction. 14-18) ASD manifests differently in everyone—indeed, his younger brother, also autistic, is in many ways his polar opposite. He recounts his journey to his dream of becoming a professional ONCE & FUTURE comedian, including triumphs and humiliations, family, teach- McCarthy, Cori & Capetta, ers, friends, and enemies, all in a wry, self-deprecating voice Amy Rose peppered with innumerable pop-culture references and relent- Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown (368 pp.) less optimism. Along the way, he provides an intimate glimpse $18.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 of one autistic person’s inner life, highlighting common experi- 978-0-316-44927-4 ences, explaining widespread coping mechanisms, and demol- ishing popular misconceptions. Some readers might yearn for A girl with a sword and an impulse his advantages of economic means, supportive community, and problem embarks on a perilous quest excellent, well-funded special needs programs in the public to save her family and free the galaxy schools; still, he acknowledges his struggles with living indepen- from the clutches of a power-hungry dently and that some persons with ASD may never achieve that. corporation. Nonetheless, the hard-won lessons he shares—be understand- When Ari, an on-the-run refugee from planet Ketch, pulls ing, don’t judge, live for the moment, never give up, and “shut up Excalibur from a tree on Old Earth, she sets a centuries-old and listen”—are worthwhile for autistic and neurotypical alike. cycle into motion. By claiming the sword, she unknowingly “I didn’t want to be inspirational; I just wanted to be attracts the enchantress Morgana and awakens the backward- funny.” Happily he manages to be both. (Memoir. 12-18) aging magician Merlin, both of whom are doomed to an eternity of reliving the same story of King Arthur’s rise and fall. Hon- est to the core and averse to pageantry, Ari rejects her destiny as “the one true king” until she discovers her connection to the Arthur cycle may help her raise a resistance against the Mer- cer Company, who imprisoned her mothers and are threatening everyone Ari loves. In this intergalactic reimagining of Arthurian legend, a racially diverse queer and trans ensemble of characters leads the battle against the tyranny of capitalism.

150 | 1 january 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | FEAR OF MISSING OUT Pip—who seems younger—uses every possible occasion to wear McGovern, Kate outrageous, painstakingly created costumes. High school bully Farrar, Straus and Giroux Eddie Oro and his bubble-headed followers are stock char- (320 pp.) acters, but Marlowe’s budding friendships with cool, gay Zan $17.99 | Mar. 19, 2019 Cheung and maybe-the-sister-of-Marlowe’s-heart-donor Car- 978-0-374-30547-5 men Castillejo ring true. So does the slow move from adversary to love interest with Leo, the next-door butcher’s son—which After two years in remission, Astrid’s begins with a series of escalating pranks on both sides. Without brain tumor is back—and this time, it’s didacticism, the text offers a glimpse into two sets of rare chal- not going away. lenges: those faced by Marlowe, grappling with the fact that her Sixteen-year-old Astrid Ayeroff has life was restored by another’s death, and those faced by Carmen a tumor wrapped around her brain stem. and her father, still grieving over 16-year-old Luis, whose organs Since she’s already beaten cancer once, Astrid’s single mother were donated after a car accident. and her Indian-American boyfriend, Mohit, are convinced she Readers will cheer for Marlowe’s bildungsroman— can do it again. Thanks to Astrid’s internship at her doctor’s simultaneously unique and universal. (Fiction. 12-16) office, though, she’s learned enough to realize that this time she’s unlikely to survive, even if she enrolls in a promising new clinical trial as Mohit and her mom wish. So while her mother OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS researches experimental treatment options, Astrid investigates Reynolds, Justin A. cryopreservation, a scientific technique for freezing a body at Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (464 pp.)

the moment of death and possibly reviving it in the future. In $17.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 young adult the process, she realizes she needs to make some difficult deci- 978-0-06-274837-9 sions about how she wants to live—which means deciding how she wants to die. A deeply felt, nuanced story of coping with Romeo and Juliet meets Groundhog terminal illness, McGovern’s (Rules for 50/50 Chances, 2015) novel Day and Love Story in this wonderfully features a protagonist whose voice strikes just the right balance romantic story of teenage love and sec- between poignancy and wit. The well-paced plot prioritizes ond chances. Astrid’s grief while simultaneously providing windows into the What can Jack say about a college struggles of the people she loves, including a diverse cast of freshman girl who’s dying? That she is characters. Astrid’s best friend, Chloe, has two mothers; Astrid beautiful and brilliant? That she loves writing, witty banter, and her family are assumed white. and him? Or that he is destined to meet her over and over A heartbreaking story of loss and grief peopled with again? In this engrossing debut novel, Reynolds creates both nuanced, endearing characters that ultimately leaves the a pair of unforgettable protagonists who are doomed to love, reader with a feeling of triumph. (Fiction. 14-18) lose, and work to find one another again and again and a well- rounded cast of supporting characters. Jack King, who is Afri- can-American, is an only child, caught in a love triangle with TIN HEART his two best friends: Franny, a resilient and optimistic Latinx Plozza, Shivaun boy, and Franny’s Italian-American girlfriend, Jillian, who Flatiron Books (336 pp.) is grappling with family issues—and who is the one who got $18.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 away. All of that changes when Jack meets Kate, an African- 978-1-250-31276-1 American student tour guide, during his visit to her university. When she stands him up for prom, he is heartbroken—even Seventeen-year-old Australian Mar- more so when he learns that she has a serious genetic condi- lowe Jensen—just returning to high tion. Among the best elements of this supernatural romance school after a successful heart trans- are the three-dimensional relationships between Jack and his plant—obsesses about her anonymous parents and between him and his two best friends. donor while also navigating relationships A realistic teen drama that tackles complex subjects in with friends, family members, and her an uncompromising way. (Fiction. 14-18) first love. Marlowe, who is of Danish descent, narrates the tale in present tense. Among her many anxieties: “There is no ‘me’ anymore. They’re seeing a girl with a borrowed heart.” Although this and other insecure musings pepper the text, it is also filled with Mar- lowe’s witty comments. Her zany, controlling mother and ador- ing younger brother provide additional humor: Mum, owner of the “vegan-organic-wellness store called Blissfully Aware,” participates in showy, anti-establishment protests, and 10-year-old

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 151 DEALING IN DREAMS father and deported mother in Mexico. Sara and Braden are Rivera, Lilliam presumed white. In Roache’s (Frat Girl, 2018) sophomore effort, Simon & Schuster (336 pp.) multiple voices rotate narration of each chapter. As the trio $18.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 faces difficult decisions that illuminate their individual values 978-1-4814-7214-2 about greed and profit, this had the potential to be a timely story about ethical entrepreneurship in the tech industry. How- Rivera (The Education of Margot ever, the overarching and predictable romance plot dilutes the Sanchez, 2017) crafts a feminist, futurist impact. Sara’s voice is the strongest, with perceptive insights Latinx dystopia. on roommates and love, but Robbie’s story frustratingly lacks Mega City appears to be the only depth; his chapters often serve as a vehicle for dialogue between urban center left standing after a massive Braden and Sara. An author’s note about undocumented immi- earthquake known colloquially as the Big grants is a blithe period at the end of a thin story. Shake, a place where ideals of a feminist Swipe left on this one. (Fiction. 14-18) eutopia have devolved into gang violence, economic inequality, rampant drug addiction, and callous objectification of men. In this world of toxic femininity, Nalah, better known as Chief DIFFERENTLY NORMAL Rocka, leads a group of teen girls in patrolling the streets and Robinson, Tammy pursuing an elusive dream of residing among the elite. When Piatkus Books (352 pp.) an assignment from on high sends Nalah and crew beyond the $13.99 paper | Mar. 5, 2019 borders, she is exposed to new ideas and long-buried memo- 978-0-349-41904-6 ries which threaten the foundations of her life. While address- ing many hot-button issues, gender identity and expression lie You know the story: Boy meets girl. at the heart of the drama. The pacing comes in fits and starts. Boy and girl fall in love. Heartbreak Bursts of staccato action, frequently violent, are contrasted ensues. with languid interludes of pensive, often redundant, introspec- Nineteen-year-old Albert loves surf- tion. After spending much of the book blindly loyal to Mega ing, avoids his abusive father, and works City, the protagonist’s inevitable change of heart comes with a with horses trained for therapy riding. rapidity once reserved only for the Grinch. Perhaps unsurpris- That’s where he meets Maddy and her sister, Bee, who has ingly, this leaves many loose ends, ample hanging threads ripe autism, epilepsy, and other unspecified developmental disabili- for a sequel. Though characters’ ethnicities are never identified, ties requiring 24/7 care. Outside of work, Maddy has devoted the world they live in, which creatively flips the hallmarks of her whole life to helping her single mother and sister and has machismo on their head, is steeped in Latinx-Caribbean culture. no expectation or desire for change. But now, with Albert, she Intriguing premise but the verdict is still out. (Science can’t help dreaming of something more....This weepy New fiction. 12-17) Zealand romance is marketed to John Green fans but reads more like an old-school tear-jerker spiced up with tasteful sex. Albert is the ideal boyfriend—gorgeous, athletic, charming, THE DATING GAME infinitely supportive—even saddled with a cardboard bully par- Roache, Kiley ent. Maddy demonstrates more nuance, if inconsistently; a dev- Inkyard Press (384 pp.) astating revelation is never mentioned again, and her avowed $18.99 | Mar. 26, 2019 passion for photography appears only when narratively useful. 978-1-335-01756-7 Bee’s many disabilities are described with realism and sympa- thy, but she is portrayed as a bundle of symptoms grafted onto Three college freshmen strike gold a saccharine stereotype: “innocent, heartbreakingly so.” Maddy with their successful dating app created never expresses frustration or resentment since her sister func- for a class project, but will they stay tions only to teach patience, tolerance, and unconditional love. united when business and romance mix? Except for half-Maori, half-white Bee, who has a different father Sara, Braden, and Roberto meet in than Maddy, all main characters present as white; one incidental a competitive entrepreneurship course Thai character speaks only in painfully fractured English. at the fictional Warren University in Silicon Valley, California. Delivers a good cry but not much else. (Fiction. 14-18) When their famous venture capitalist professor challenges them to pitch a winning product idea—or fail the class—they knock out the competition with Perfect10, a dating app in which users rank one another based on desirability. Sara, a whip- smart Midwestern blonde, has already developed a flourishing software system; Braden, a privileged social climber, is set on establishing his own legacy apart from his father; and Roberto is Latinx on scholarship from Oakland with a Spanish-speaking

152 | 1 january 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | The plot is breathlessly fast, with creepy spirits, a satisfying romance, and political twists and turns. bloodleaf

YOU ASKED FOR PERFECT comes after bloodshed, a horrifying ghost called the Harbin- Silverman, Laura ger, and the violent undoing of protective spells. However, Sourcebooks Fire (272 pp.) some aspects—a protective but deadly wall, corrupt leaders $17.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 who manipulate a repressive, pleasure-denying religion for 978-1-4926-5827-6 their own ends, and King Domhnall, a hypocritical, whoring, “very stable genius”—will feel immediately relevant to savvy Ariel has always been a straight-A readers. The mythology feels classic yet fresh and interesting, student, but now it’s senior year. though descriptions of “blood magic” (where practitioners For this overachiever, that means often make themselves bleed) might warrant a trigger warning taking a kajillion AP courses, practicing for self-injury. violin, and making everyone think he’s a Political, romantic, magical, timely, yet also tradition- perfectionist to whom it all comes easy. ally appealing. (Fantasy. 14-18) But Ariel’s dream of Harvard begins to waver when he fails a calculus quiz. Thankfully, Amir comes to the rescue by agreeing to tutor him. Gay Amir is Pakistani Muslim, and bisexual Ariel CHICKEN GIRL comes from an observant Jewish family; the boys have been in Smith, Heather T. the same school for years and their families are friendly, but it Penguin Teen (240 pp.) is only now that they really notice—and quickly fall for—one $16.99 | Mar. 5, 2019 another. With AP exams approaching, college applications due, 978-0-14-319868-0 a violin recital and numerous family events looming—not to

mention Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—Ariel begins to real- A Canadian teen wallowing in suffer- young adult ize that effortless perfection requires quite a bit of effort after ing gets pulled out of it by people worse all. As their romance grows, Ariel finds himself unable to keep off than her. up with the various elements of his life: the stresses of school, About six months ago, the internet romance, and family. Ultimately, he learns the importance of was mean to Poppy. She posted a picture stepping back, seeking help, and admitting to weakness. Sil- of herself posing like Rosie the Riveter, verman (Girl Out of Water, 2017) writes a coming-of-age novel someone digitally edited a hamburger in her hand, fatpho- that will charm readers with its relatable and diverse characters, bic comments ensued, and Poppy retreated from her life. She quirky storyline, and interweaving of faith, queerness, and the stopped doing roller derby and took a job advertising for a res- everyday lives of seniors navigating the pressures of college taurant while dressed in a full-body chicken suit. Her parents applications, grades, and relationships. and twin brother, Cam, worry, but all Poppy wants to do is keep Heartwarming and engaging. (Romance. 14-18) upsetting herself, binging on social media atrocities. When Poppy meets a small girl named Miracle, she’s introduced to a community of homeless people and their friends and slowly BLOODLEAF learns to see outside her own pain. The plot reads like multiple Smith, Crystal lessons and morals haphazardly cobbled together instead of a HMH Books (384 pp.) novel. Miracle’s mother is a sex worker, which appalls judgmen- $18.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 tal Poppy. Cam recently came out as gay and experiments with 978-1-328-49630-0 flamboyance, leading Poppy to conclude that he’s forgetting who he really is, and a rape scene plays into homophobic tropes Magic and royalty interweave with about predatory gay men. One character seems to exist only to contemporary concerns in this dark teach the reader about transgender issues, reduced to his desire fantasy. for bottom surgery and his experiences with transphobia. The Renaltan princess Aurelia is a witch. book follows a white default with some implied diversity in sec- She studies forbidden books and avoids ondary characters. contact with the ghosts she sees while There’s a lot to enjoy about Poppy’s voice, but heavy- trying to hide her powers from a magic-fearing populace. handed moralizing impedes the reading experience. She’ll be safe once she marries the prince of another monarchy, (Realistic fiction. 14-18) quelling a centuries-old feud, but secretive, scheming powers knock those plans awry. Fleeing to the magically fortified city of Achleva she pretends to be a commoner with uncom- mon magical skill as deadly machinations swirl around her. Aurelia’s and her friends’ skin colors range from pale to dark brown, but racial identities don’t come into play in the story. The plot is breathlessly fast, complete with creepy spirits, a satisfying romance, and complex but clear political twists and turns. The plot is purely fantasy, involving a cure-all that only

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 153 A smart, funny, engrossing romance with a social conscience. night music

SHERWOOD so few she can quickly count and list them, Oscar notes with Spooner, Meagan good humor. Race matters in the course of their budding HarperTeen (496 pp.) romance, but Oscar’s rising star and Ruby’s uncertain future $17.99 | Mar. 19, 2019 factor in far more. Ruby struggles to figure out the next stage 978-0-06-242231-6 of her life while Oscar wants to avoid ugly assumptions about his interest in his mentor’s daughter. Ruby and Oscar’s sweet A new hero dons the iconic green and intense romance sparkles. Readers will root for them not cloak in this retelling of Robin Hood’s just as a couple, but as individuals trying their best to under- tale. stand their gifts and passions while facing pressures from the Young Lady Marian of Edwinstowe adult world. is not a typical damsel in distress. A smart, funny, engrossing romance with a social con- Long betrothed to Robin of Locksley, science. (Fiction. 13-18) Marian relishes freedom more than future romance, priz- ing horseback riding, archery, and Sherwood Forest over feminine, domestic pursuits. But when Robin falls to stock- SECOND IN COMMAND character Saracens in the Crusades, Marian is nevertheless Van, Sandi devastated and wonders how to protect Robin’s people, West 44 Books (200 pp.) Locksley villagers and outlaws alike. Haunted/guided by $19.95 | Feb. 1, 2019 Robin—or an idealized version of him—Marian uses her 978-1-5383-8262-2 noble station, tall stature, and unparalleled archery skills to become Robin Hood. The requisite (albeit not-so-) Merry After his mother departs on a six- Men, daring heists, and archery contest follow, all retold with month tour of duty, 16-year-old Leo, his feminist and egalitarian undercurrents. Secondary character father, and his younger siblings, Jack and Guy of Gisborne—black-clad, scarred, seemingly sinister Reina, are left to cope. and servile—surpasses his traditional toady role and evolves Leo is on his way becoming an Eagle to become a suitable foil to feisty Marian. Spooner (Hunted, Scout, he wants to join the Summer 2017, etc.) grounds Marian’s adventures with rich historical Youth Police Academy, and he is committed to embodying the details and offers a flawed, fervent heroine whose revolu- principles of the Scout Oath. His workaholic father, who is tionary desires and short-term schemes encounter brutal hardly ever home, sees him as the reliable one and gives Leo too medieval realities like war, death, taxes, and the inherent much responsibility for the care of his siblings. Leo has always chauvinism of chivalry. All characters are assumed white. vowed to have Jack’s back, but when the 13-year-old starts acting Steeped in tradition but infused with feminism and out and gets in serious trouble, Leo finds it hard to hold up his political concerns, a Robin Hood for a new audience. end of the bargain. He becomes close to Zen, a girl who belongs (Historical fiction. 12-18) to their support group for families of deployed military person- nel, but that relationship is later put at risk. Leo must figure out how to help his brother while also pursuing his own dreams. NIGHT MUSIC In her heartfelt debut novel that explores the challenges facing Thorne, Jenn Marie military families left at home, Van effectively utilizes verse to Dial (400 pp.) impeccably convey the feelings of sadness, anger, displacement, $17.99 | Mar. 19, 2019 and lack of belonging of young people on the brink of adult- 978-0-7352-2877-1 hood. Leo’s father is a Cuban immigrant, and Zen is Korean- American; other characters are assumed white. After failing her audition at an elite Reluctant readers will enjoy exploring Leo’s loyalty to music school, Ruby falls for Oscar, her his family and ideals, strong threads woven through the father’s musical genius protégé. fabric of this emotional story. (Verse novel. 12-18) A disastrous audition at the presti- gious Amberley School of Music would be heartbreaking for anyone with their heart set on a musical career. But for Ruby Chertok, what does the future hold if not a career as a classical pianist, a birth- right from her loving, accomplished, but imperfect parents? Her father is on the faculty of Amberley and is in charge of the upcoming season at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Enter Oscar Bell, a charming prodigy and YouTube sensation from Maryland who’s spending the summer studying with Ruby’s father. Oscar is African-American. Ruby and her family and friends are white—aside from her seven black friends,

154 | 1 january 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | KISS NUMBER 8 Venable, Colleen AF Illus. by Crenshaw, Ellen T. First Second (320 pp.) $17.99 paper | Mar. 12, 2019 978-1-59643-709-8

The discovery of long-buried family secrets brings Amanda closer to owning her own. Amanda is the demure sidekick to the wild and sexy Cat, who knows how to have a good time but doesn’t always know how to be a great friend. Her real best friend, though, is her Catholic dad. They go to Sunday baseball games, share favorite TV shows, and trounce each other in video games. When Amanda discovers that her runaway grandmother was actually an early transgender rights activist who transitioned late in life, it brings unbearable tension into their relationship. It also makes Amanda wake up to parts of herself she’s not yet been able to acknowledge, such as how she really

feels when she’s around Cat. These revelations wreak havoc on young adult her relationships. Fortunately, Amanda, who is white, finds a new, multiracial crew from the public school. Their lack of need for labels, for the gender binary, or to overexplain themselves allows Amanda to relax into self-acceptance. It’s a story of family and friendship and love in all its forms, perfect for the graphic novel format and elevated by the combined art and narrative. For example, when Amanda’s father tells his mother’s story, his distorted recollections are laid out in juxtaposition with actual events, resulting in an achingly moving vignette. The characters shine, fully human and permitted to be flawed. Hope prevails. A rare blend of tender and revolutionary. (Graphic novel. 13-18)

| kirkus.com | young adult | 1 january 2019 | 155 Shelf Space

Q&A with Hannah Oliver Depp, Managing Partner of Upshur Street Books By Karen Schechner so much about the city focus on the neighborhood in such detail was fantastic, and we were able to partner with our local library, which is just a couple of blocks away, to reach as many people as possible. We capped off the night with drinks in our partner bar, Petworth Citizen, just next door to the bookstore. It’s the kind of literary community night that Paul Rup- pert, the owner, dreamed of when opening the store. How does the bookstore reflect the interests of your community? Well, you’ve hit the big question right now for us. When we opened, the owner envisioned more of a traditional corner bookstore. But the neighborhood and the industry have changed dramatically over the past few years, and the store Washington, D.C., instantly embraced Upshur Street Books and is currently pivoting to adapt. Our market wants not only a vice versa when the general bookstore opened in 2014. President place to bring their kids to read books, but also an evolving Barack Obama and his daughters shopped there; 44 and fami- gathering place that ties into the bar next door with literary ly bought by Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights cocktail nights, provides coffee on your morning rush, and Salman Rushdie, Cynthia Voigt’s , and more. Upshur Street Elske features unique offerings of gifts and custom services. We do Books covers everything from poetry and politics to essay col- a lot of programming with community groups and literary or- lections and cookbooks. We talk with managing partner Hannah ganizations, and formalizing those relationships is a big part Oliver Depp about the ways the bookstore serves the multiple of our plan for next year. Our current focus…is changing over needs and wants of D.C. and “why indie bookstores…exist.” our inventory to reflect the diverse community we serve and How would you describe Upshur Street Books to finding more unique gifts for the holiday season. the uninitiated? What trends are you noticing among We’re a small store on the cornerstone block of Petworth, young readers? D.C. This neighborhood is a perfect mashup of quiet, neigh- It’s not so much a trend as why indie bookstores, and ours in borhood-oriented, culturally diverse D.C. and the tidal wave particular, exist. People want that personal recommendation. of gentrification and new business that has flooded our capi- It’s the No. 1 reason they come to a physical bookstore. Kids’ tal in the past decade. Our bookstore is working hard to be books featuring children who look like the children in our a physical representation of that intersection; a “third place” neighborhood schools, whether YA or picture books, have where you can meet whether you’re rushing home from work been huge. There is a strong interest in diverse children’s liter- and need to grab a book for your kids’ reading list or killing 40 ature, the sort that deals with larger cultural traumas but also minutes waiting for a table at one of the many great restau- runs the gamut of the everyday life of a young person: eating rants on our block. breakfast with family, falling in love, solving crimes in a time- If Upshur Street Books were a religion, what would traveling shoe. You know, the basics. be its icons and tenets? What are some of the bookstores’ top Obviously, our icon is an open book. Read whatever makes current handsells? you happy, just keep reading. We can literally never sell enough A Is for Activist in our store! Which was your favorite event and/or most mem- That board book could be half of our kids’ section, and I think orable disaster? it would still move. We just had an event with George Pelecanos, who features the store in his latest novel, The Man Who Came Uptown, and pays Karen Schechner is the vice president of Kirkus Indie. homage to Petworth in general. Having someone who cares

156 | 1 january 2019 | shelf space | kirkus.com | indie These titles earned the Kirkus Star: HER WIDOW Alden, Joan Dog Ear (202 pp.) TRIPS by Arthur W. Goodhart...... 166 $19.57 paper | $9.99 e-book Oct. 18, 2018 THE WONDER CODE by Scott Mason...... 172 978-1-4575-6298-3

FORTY STEPS AND OTHER STORIES by Terrence Murphy...... 174 A heartfelt journal spans the year following a partner’s death from ovarian cancer. RADIAL BLOOM by Amy Ratto Parks...... 176 Alden (When I First Knew, 2016, etc.) wrote this in memory of her partner—photographer and graphic designer Catherine TWO COINS by Sandra Wagner-Wright...... 180 J. Hopkins (1940-1996), with whom she lived in Catskill, New

York. At that time, the legitimacy of their same-sex relation- young adult ship wasn’t widely acknowledged. The local courthouse and church both refused to marry the women, but their pastor per- formed a wedding ceremony at their home in 1991, and Alden considered Catherine her wife. However, she would later feel shunned at a bereavement support group, and her parents, who never approved of her relationships with women, announced that they wanted nothing further to do with her. Month by month, these diary entries from 1996—addressed as letters to the late Catherine—illuminate the first year of sometimes- desperate grief. The author recounts her struggle to accept her identity as a widow: “I don’t know this person who can’t find meaning or pleasure in anything.” Flipping through photo albums unearthed memories of parties and vacations, but early on, it was the painful scenes that tended to linger: cleaning Catherine’s stomach tube, the final moments before her death, and the rituals of washing her body and informing relatives. Looking back, though, Alden could see that, however ironically, “those difficult days were the most intimate.” The journal artfully sets the enormity of loss in the context of everyday activities. Life goes on with a broken toilet to be fixed, a wedding to attend, and an ex-lover’s body to identify. Short, poetic notes on the weather close most of the entries, providing a sense of inevitable forward motion. Catherine’s black-and-white photographs also illustrate the seasons’ passage. By September, the narrative sees the author moving on—selling their house, moving to start a new teaching role, and facing breast cancer unfazed. She resolves to “remember the past with gratitude” and “neither to flee the darkness nor fly toward the light,” instead taking a cleareyed view of life’s mixed fortunes. RADIAL BLOOM Tender, realistic snapshots of life during bereavement. Ratto Parks, Amy Folded Word (84 pp.) $12.00 paper | Nov. 15, 2018 978-1-61019-114-2

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 157 bibliophagy

Indieland supports reading om- MOZART AND GREAT MUSIC nivorously. So, in 2019, I’ll be forag- Alexander, Mark Andre ing for (in addition to my perennial The School of Pythagoras (180 pp.) favorite, interior, well-written liter- $7.99 paper | $2.99 e-book ary fiction) transporting photography Dec. 9, 2015 978-1-937597-24-5 collections; biting social commentary; and well-researched nonfiction, espe- This fourth installment of a series cially by women writers. focuses on the music of Mozart. I’d love to see more books like Alexander (Sex and Romance, 2015, Lara Jo Regan’s Dogs on the Beach etc.) continues his series of manu- (Regan, a photojournalist, became in- als with a slight departure from the norm. Previous volumes have centered on providing readers ternet famous when she introduced Mr. Winkle, which with lucid, accessible guides to such practical matters as sex, rewards Googling, to the world). These images are joy- romance, money, finances, and general life lessons, but in this ful and eye-catching—a blend of updated version of Book 4, the emphasis turns quite specific: William Wegman and William the journey, music, and genius of Mozart. The author contends Eggleston. Two dogs’ batlike that listening to and properly appreciating Mozart’s music can ears rhyme with hang gliders usher readers into what Alexander calls a “heavenly state of at the top of the frame; a Box- consciousness.” Great art, according to the author, transports listeners to a realm where they ask: How is it possible that a er poses against a multicolored human being actually made something so beautiful and stirring? boardwalk; a Chinese crested, Offering copious musical examples, Alexander deftly describes planted on wet sand, gazes wise- several of Mozart’s best known or most technically virtuosic ly at the viewer. pieces, grounding them in the particulars of the composer’s life I’ll continue to look for boundary-pushing satire. I and career. The author presents e-book readers with links to know I can count on the prolific Jacob M. Appel, who has YouTube clips featuring Mozart performances or various discussions by experts on the music’s splendor and significance. racked up a nice constellation of Kirkus stars. In his most At several points, readers are taken on deeper examinations of recent short story collection, The Amazing Mr. Morality, key works (both Mozart’s and those of other classical compos- “The Children’s Lottery” blends Jonathan Swift and Shirley ers who either influenced or were inspired by his music). The Jackson. In this lottery, the “winning” child is sacrificed to Mozart offerings range from popular operas like The Marriage of a camp of pedophiles to keep the rest of the children safe. Figaro and complex pieces like the string quartets and quintets It’s the complicity that’s the kicker in these mordant mo- to such towering achievements as the “Jupiter” Symphony. The rality tales. technical details of instruments and arrangements are broken down in clear language. The author is always alert to the ways And I’ll be keeping a lookout for more terrific nonfic- Mozart “stretched the ears” of his listeners, perfecting many of tion from Judy Juanita. She first caught my attention with the musical forms that had come before him and foreshadow- her starred collection, De Facto Fem ing several later developments in the genre. And throughout inism, which our reviewer describes the book, as in the previous entries in this series, Alexander as “an extraordinary set of autobio- is very effective at stressing the excitement of discovery, the graphical essays [that] gives insight great personal rewards to be reaped with patient and meticulous study. The guide is brightly and invitingly designed, clearly into a black woman’s life in the arts.” intended to welcome readers to a grand adventure. Her most recent book, Homage to A thorough and enthusiastic introduction to the life the Black Arts Movement: A Hand and works of Mozart, perfect for readers of all ages. book, also starred, is a “multigenre study guide [that] invites readers to investigate, through fiction, poetry, drama, and essays, the many facets of the revolutionary black artistic and political movements of the 1960s and ’70s.” —K.S.

Karen Schechner is the vice president of Kirkus Indie.

158 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | STORMY SATURDAY which ran in the Cairns family. The children struggled to live Blyth, Jennifer normal lives with a condition that had the potential to put them Illus. by Kerber, Kathy into cardiac arrest with too much exertion. Finally, the family AuthorHouse (42 pp.) made the terrifying decision to put Luka on a waitlist for a $13.99 | $9.99 paper | $2.99 e-book heart transplant, despite the risks. They flew across the coun- Dec. 8, 2015 try at a moment’s notice so that young Luka could undergo the 978-1-64361-247-8 dangerous, life-changing procedure. The memoir’s first third 978-1-64361-246-1 paper is dragged down by tangential stories about family life and an upsetting account of an abusive neighbor. However, Cairns nar- A little girl and her big brother make the most of a rainy day by rates the transplant itself with great care, depicting the delirium using their imaginations to have fantastical adventures indoors. that comes from waiting countless hours for news as well as the Eight-year-old Braydon and his almost-5-year-old sister long and uneasy road to full recovery. She’s also very effective Brooklynn (pictured by illustrator Kerber as two blond white at relating the sadness of restricted childhoods; at one point, children) are stuck inside their home on Sammie Street on for instance, she tells of having to drag young Jazz away from a a rainy day. Piles of laundry and bedding in Braydon’s messy race that he wanted to run. The author mixes in intimate diary room turn into “Mount Clothia,” a mountain so high it entries, drawings, and photos that will help to give readers a reaches the stars. A blustery wind blows open a window and fuller view of her emotional state throughout her ordeal. the children must escape a giant’s clutching hands (the drapes) An affecting memoir that takes readers into the strug- in the “Flying Forest.” The basement laundry room becomes gles of a life-threatening condition. “Whispering Waterfalls,” home to trolls. The adventures and

the full-bleed, brightly colored illustrations that depict them young adult offer child-pleasing mild humor and suspense. Beyond encour- THIS IS THAT aging young readers to cultivate creativity and use their imagi- Stories nations—with no screens to distract them—Blyth (Escaped the Chehak, Susan Taylor Night, 2016) offers a message about the rewards of brother- Foreverland Press (95 pp.) sister bonding. Braydon’s initial reluctance to spend the day Nov. 2, 2018 with Brooklynn, giving way to enjoyment as his sister eagerly follows along, rings true. The 8-year-old’s snippy reluctance A collection of short stories centered to become the follower when Brooklynn comes up with her on the complications of love and the dis- own adventure is overdone, but there is pleasing warmth in orientation of grief. the resolution of the escapade and the siblings’ return to their Chehak (It’s Not About the Dog: Stories, everyday life. 2015, etc.) isn’t cowed by the notion of Celebrates inventive play and offers a refreshingly posi- tackling the most exigent existential issues in this assemblage of tive message about sibling harmony. 16 tales, all but one previously published, mostly in literary mag- azines such as The Minnesota Review. Many of them confront the pain of loss. For example, in the first, titular piece, Nessa RAINBOWS IN THE STORM Lowe, a 60-year-old woman, struggles to get her bearings after Cairns, Angela Flemming her longtime husband abandons her for a younger woman—a Westbow Press (380 pp.) fate that’s no less humiliating for being clichéd. Nessa contrib- $39.95 | $5.99 e-book | May 8, 2018 utes to her own solitude by alienating her other family members, 978-1-973622-45-1 as she’s an ungovernable alcoholic, inclined to mercurial acts of violence. Similarly, in “Helium,” Maudie’s spiritual desolation Cairns’ debut recounts her emotional after the death of her husband reduces her to finding compan- journey of caring for two ill children, cul- ionship in an artificial boy fashioned from balloons. As is char- minating in her daughter’s heart transplant. acteristic of Chehak’s writing, the story manages to seamlessly When the Australian author was 19 weave despair with morbidly outlandish humor, as characters years old, her parents introduced her use the latter as a means to negotiate the former. In “Idiot,” a to her future husband, then-15-year-old story that’s less than a page in length, an unnamed protagonist Lucas, and his family: “I could never have returns to her ex-boyfriend’s place to retrieve a pair of shoes known...one day, that family, along with the health challenges only to hurl them into a lagoon shortly after—an act of self- ahead they had to face, would become mine too.” Years later, redemption following a self-betraying submission. The author she and Lucas fell in love, got married, and moved from Syd- seems keen on flouting conventions; the story structures aren’t ney to the small town of Grafton, where they raised their young always linear, and many of them feel more like quick, impres- boy, Elijah. Soon they had a daughter, Luka-Angel, who was sionistic portraits of emotional states than they do literary born with viral meningitis. After the birth of their third child, chronicles of events. The concluding piece, “That is This: Res- Jazziah, a doctor realized that the two youngest children had urrection,” resembles narrative verse with its series of short congenitally weak hearts—a condition called cardiomyopathy, questions and declarative statements: “Is she dead? She is dead.”

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 159 Coppola has a keen eye for the passion of childhood friendships and the subtle indignities and joys of being 9. fly away free

Chehak’s prose offers an impressive variety of styles, rang- plays in which I gave energetic and highly emotional perfor- ing from long, cascading sentences to linguistic parsimony, mances, lacking only an audience”). Tessie is a prickly and self- from short snapshots to longer, more plot-driven narratives. contained character, but an endearing one who allows readers She has a talent for packing a lifetime of retrospection into to understand her conflicts and growth in detail. The prose one or two sentences, such as these, from “Coxswain”: “We could have benefited from additional editing, particularly the ran through the streets, chanting for justice and an end to the several points at which the first-person narration inadvertently war and peace on earth and love and he held my hand and I switches to third-person. But there are also simple but elegant threw the rock that smashed the sign. There was darkness turns of phrase (“Spring comes like a shy bride in Upstate New then and he kissed me then, he shattered me like glass.” Most York”) that make for enjoyable reading and a satisfying story. of the pieces in this book are driven by character, and even An engaging middle-grade tale about the power of love the unnamed figures in them are powerfully drawn, if enig- and letting go. matic. In “Suffer the Children: Four Quartets,” for instance, readers don’t know much information about Ellen—a woman in search of a new home, away from her mother—or about SECRETS HAUNT THE Mrs. Norton, the grifter posing as a house seller, but the mad LOBSTERS’ SEA desperation of both women is palpable. The author also sen- D’Avanzo, Charlene sitively juxtaposes personal anxiety with its global iteration; Maine Authors Publishing (210 pp.) in “Apocalypse, Tonight,” the unnamed protagonist—her ano- $16.95 paper | $3.99 e-book nymity conspicuous in a story brimming with named charac- Jun. 25, 2018 ters—makes elaborate preparations for a New Year’s Eve party 978-1-63381-136-2 that could possibly include a Y2K catastrophe, but lurking in the background is the impending death of her father. Mystery writer D’Avanzo (Demon Spirit, A poignant assortment of stylistically daring stories. Devil Sea, 2017, etc.) is back on the coast of Maine, dealing with a bunch of lobstermen who want no truck with nosy outsiders. FLY AWAY FREE In the very first chapter, marine biologist and amateur Coppola, Anne Turner sleuth Mara Tusconi discovers a body under her cousin Gordy Page Publishing (142 pp.) Maloy’s mussel aquaculture raft, a body that had belonged to $29.99 | $19.99 paper | Jul. 17, 2014 lobsterman Buddy Crawford. Whodunit? Mara soon finds her- 978-1-4990-4915-2 self on Macomeck Island, a speck in the Gulf of Maine about 25 miles off the coast. Lobstermen have lived on the island A bird in danger leads a woman to for generations, and something akin to the law of the frontier reminisce about the geese she tended as holds sway. Mara, who is fighting her own demons of loneli- a girl. ness and insecurity, finds comfort in grandmotherly Abby In this posthumously published Burgess. Abby’s daughter Patty, Gordy’s girlfriend, is sure debut middle-grade novel, Coppola that the killer is hotheaded Tyler Johnson, reputed druggie. introduces readers to Tessie Farrell, an But Mara keeps sniffing around and uncovering old wounds, adult who lives in Florida. When she rescues an injured osprey grudges, and hatreds. There are also very vivid scenes such as and goes after the boys who harassed and abducted the bird’s a near catastrophe when a sudden squall threatens to swamp relatives, Tessie reawakens memories of her childhood in 1950s Mara’s sea kayak. Pushing on, she begins to recover from her upstate New York. At 9 years old, Tessie is sensitive about hav- own wounds (some self-inflicted), and the final episode in a ing been adopted and has an uneasy relationship with most of submersible with her old flame, Ted McNight, may just put her classmates, particularly mean girl Sharon Grand. A slow- her life back on course. It should also be mentioned that her burning friendship with librarian and ornithologist Maudie best confidant is a lobster named Homer, (who of course is Carrol begins to soften Tessie’s sharp edges (“Instead of criticiz- very discreet). D’Avanzo writes well (“The knots in my stom- ing or bossing me, she simply explained why things were”), and ach would have made a sailor proud”) and delivers a nice mix caring for a pair of abandoned geese finally gives her a sense of of Mara’s outer challenges (who killed Buddy?) and inner (will purpose. The geese, Wilbur and Orville, are the subject of Tes- she ever find love?). She also delivers a lot of very interesting sie’s science project. Taking care of them allows her to excel in a facts about oceanography and marine biology, having earned a classroom where she often feels overlooked and to understand Ph.D. from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. That alone the motivations of adoptive parents like her own. The story is is worth the read. She switches to dialect when she deems it a quiet one, focused on Tessie’s internal development rather appropriate (“lobstah,” “habah,” “remembah”). Some readers than a dramatic plot. Coppola has a keen eye for the passion of may find this charming; others may find it a bit tiresome and childhood friendships (“I loved and trusted her so much that if distracting. This installment contains a preview of her next she had told me Santa Claus was real, I would have believed in Mara Tusconi mystery, Glass Eels, Shattered Sea (2019). him again”) and the subtle indignities and joys of being 9 (“In Anyone interested in a good mystery along with insights place of friends, I had imagination, and I created one-character into marine life will enjoy D’Avanzo’s latest.

160 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | OLDE ROBIN HOOD MURDER ABOARD THE Danley, Kate HIGHLAND ROSE Self (313 pp.) Fischer, Peter S. $12.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Grove Point Press (226 pp.) Sep. 20, 2018 $9.99 paper | Mar. 12, 2018 978-1-72384-312-9 978-0-9960491-7-7

This epic fantasy retelling of a clas - In this 18th entry in Fischer’s (Ashes sic story delivers characters both new to Ashes, 2018, etc.) mystery series, a Hol- and familiar. lywood novelist/screenwriter runs into Danley’s (A Spirited Manor, 2018, etc.) danger when his latest project threatens tale has a mythic bent from the begin- to expose old secrets about President ning, as the corrupt sheriff of Notting- John F. Kennedy’s father. ham murders Robin Hood’s father and burns their family farm Joe Bernardi, once a top Hollywood publicist, has shifted to the ground. This episode invokes the idea of the monomyth careers to write novels and screenplays, but he often finds (and a call to action, especially for the farm boy). From there, himself investigating Tinseltown murders and scandals. In the story hits familiar beats but keeps them fresh with informa- 1963, his publisher intriguingly asks him to write a nonfiction tion from folktales and oral traditions apparently pre-dating account of a 35-year-old murder aboard the yacht Highland Rose. the Robin Hood mythos of modern popular culture. Exiled, The alleged shooter was Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., the president’s Robin escapes to Sherwood Forest, where he meets Little John dad—and surprisingly, the book proposal is coming from JFK’s

(fleeing the sheriff’s service). The two become friends and join inner circle. Apparently, the president’s enemies are preparing young adult forces with others, adopting a moral code even as they turn to their own hatchet job, and his allies want to get ahead of it. The highway robbery to survive. Interestingly, this code is less con- trail’s gone cold since 1929, when the elder Kennedy was a rich tingent on their targets’ wealth than their honesty, as Robin but relatively unknown bootlegger. Murder victim Archie Far- and his companions visit justice on only those who lie when rell, a second-rate, alcoholic talent agent, was similarly obscure. asked if they have money. Rather than resorting to violent acts, But some Hollywood bigwigs were on the yacht, too, including they have a strict rule against killing and, in fact, invite some Farrell’s wife, the glamorous actress Gladys Cooper; and Glo- weary travelers to join them in their feasts. Further, Robin ria Swanson, Kennedy’s mistress. Bernardi tracks down the renounces Christianity early in the story, seeing clergymen as original newspaper, police, and crew accounts in Monterey Bay, another aspect of the corrupt state, preying on the downtrod- where the yacht was moored, as well as still-living witnesses, den and coveting riches beyond their needs. This stance—as including Cooper and Swanson. He also confronts lies, evasions, well as the fact that Robin is neither a nobleman nor a loyal- and beatings, which only spur his resolve—but in the end, the ist to an absent king, as in some adaptations—sets Danley’s facts may not be the most important thing. Fischer is a former protagonist apart from the simplicity of the morality plays screenwriter and producer for such TV shows as Columbo and the character often stars in and introduces pagan religion Murder, She Wrote, and he knows how to tell a compelling story. and a philosophy akin to political anarchism, with its strong The gumshoe-style mystery at the heart of his novel is intrigu- opposition to unjust hierarchies. Some readers may find that ing in itself, but it gets an extra boost from the Hollywood glam- these elements fail to breathe new life into the tale’s well-trod our that surrounds it; for example, readers get to visit the set ground, especially as the plot proceeds. Robin (now beloved of the film My Fair Lady, in which Cooper is one of the actors, by the poor) is pitted against an increasingly irate sheriff, forc- and Bernardi offers his opinion that casting Audrey Hepburn ing the hero to use only his wits and skills to save his friend as the lead is a terrible idea. The story has a sense of pathos, as and lady love. The bones of the narrative are familiar (Little well, revealing how less-powerful players were affected by the John says of Robin: “He gets one taste of treating folks with Highland Rose incident, and as Bernardi bemoans the bitterness, kindness, and it is like a thirst that is never quenched”). But anger, and division of 1963, the author holds a mirror up to our the classic story endures for a reason, and many readers will own fractious era. likely find themselves intrigued and entertained by the novel’s An entertaining, fast-paced mystery. rich prose, intense action, historical and mythological depth, and captivating innovations. A tried-and-true heroic tale made fresh with novelty and well-researched details.

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 161 23 Great Indie Books Worth Discovering [Sponsored]

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164 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | young adult - WHY TALK IS CHEAP WHY TALK Horn by Karen executive communication “A - engage employee on expounds ment in this debut guide.” Astute instructional; and to the way help point should for relations employee effective leaders. company SUN TZU: THE ART THE ART TZU: SUN OF MAKING MONEY M.K.by Michael Cheung of Sun Tzu, “Using the principles militaryand general ancient the paral Cheung draws tactician, lels between military and finan- between lels cial strategies.” for mercenary too Perhaps some, but when implemented sound the mostly properly, financial to lead can principles stability and success. | 1 january 2019 | 165 | kirkus.com | indie | 1 january - - - - I CARRIED THEM WITH ME Lumer by Sara her recounts debut author “A and during before experiences the Holocaust.” disciplined, and affect A simple, THE LAST KINGDOM CRUSADER Schrader P. by Helena of Jerusalem: (Envoy “Schrader Cru and the Third Balian d’Ibelin up her follows etc.) , 2016, sade with an imagi- Jerusalem Trilogy ofaccount fictionalized native, familiesthe d’Ibelin and Lusignan and the founding of the Kingdom of Cyprus.” fic Bestfansfor historical of for a enough tion but engaging audience. broader of Holo the genre to ing addition memoirs. caust PROTEUS RISING PROTEUS Dingus by Peter , in Transition (Worlds “In Dingus’ novel, a 24th-century 2017) sci-fi scientist, in a Martian caught his two protect tries to revolt, an advanced projects: secret and a intelligence computer a leap who are of children group in human evolution.” forward thoughtful rendered, Engagingly sci-fi. hard The author regales readers with engrossing poker play-by-play rendered in clipped but colorful jargon. trips

TRIPS ETTY STEELE People, Places, Poker Vampire Hunter Goodhart, Arthur W. Grave, Grayson The Gate Press (263 pp.) Self (178 pp.) $10.27 paper | $3.81 e-book $6.50 paper | $0.99 e-book | Jul. 20, 2018 Nov. 23, 2018 978-1-71783-616-8 978-1-73128-961-2 Witches, vampires, and vampire Poker becomes the key to under- hunters tangle in this middle-grade standing life and history—though not to adventure. winning money—in this meditative gam- Ten-year-old Henrietta “Etty” bling memoir. Steele thinks that all vampires drink Literary agent and novelist Goodhart (Cards, Kafka and blood and are evil, pale, coldblooded, Prague, 2016, etc.) entered Texas Hold ’em tournaments in and emotionless. She also believes that they see poorly in Prague; Nottingham, England; and the French seaside resort bright light, have “extremely white” teeth, and stink like cab- of Deauville, pitting his eternal hopes against repeated, inex- bage and other rank substances. She knows this because her orable experiences of failure. Feeling overmatched by the no-nonsense mother, Felicity Steele, told her so. Felicity is obsessive young men in dark glasses and hoodies who domi- married to a much-loved grocer, but she isn’t very friendly nate poker tournaments, he fortified himself with magical herself. Neither does she put bows in Etty’s hair or encour - thinking—he found himself bargaining for divine assistance age her to make friends. Instead, Felicity, as an undercover by offering a percentage of the prize money to charity if he tri- vampire hunter, expects her daughter to develop supernatu- umphed—and conflicting advice from poker manuals, which ral hunting skills. She trains Etty in cemetery reconnaissance had him lurching from his instinctive “tight weak” style of and how to kill vampires that transform into bats. However, “doing nothing” whenever possible to ill-judged “loose aggres- Etty is perplexed when her skills remain weak despite non- sive” betting that occasionally won big pots but inevitably stop summer practice. She’s also confused by a gentle, stut - ended with him going bust. The author regales readers with tering vampire boy named Vladimir Nox, who doesn’t smell engrossing poker play-by-play rendered in clipped but color- a bit noxious. It terrifies her when her only friend, April ful jargon—“I’m up against Ace, Queen and 7s, way behind, at Showers, whose style is as bright and cheerful as hers is dark, least until the flop when 10, Jack, 10 gives me a huge lead”—as befriends him. Like Etty and April, Vladimir has a first name he tries to figure the odds, suss out opponents’ thinking, and he dislikes, so he asks to be called “Dimi” instead. April’s tame his own psychology as he veers between timidity and kind attitude toward him causes Etty to reconsider what she recklessness. (A glossary and appendix on the rules of Texas thinks she knows about vampires. Debut author Grave, a Hold ’em should help newbies decipher the goings-on.) He former primary school teacher, deftly draws readers into the fills in the downtime between hands with beguiling travel- story via Etty’s perspective with simple yet creepy language ogues, snatches of history—he interprets the tragic miscalcu- (“The further we walked, the darker the graveyard became”). lations leading to the outbreak of World War I as a kind of There are some moments of violence in the brisk text, but the botched poker game—and wide-ranging intellectual rumina- author effectively counters the tension with humor, as when tions. (He imagines a lunchtime meeting between Einstein Felicity slyly compliments a “ratty” vampire on his teeth that and Kafka that might bring out their clashing perspectives look “almost perfect,” and he replies, “I brush twice a day.” on the universe as a coherent expression of scientific laws or The book has a less-than-happy ending, but this may also a tissue of happenstance and enigma.) Goodhart infuses the lead to real-life discussions about parent-child conflicts. mechanics of poker hustling with philosophical and literary A fun, fast-paced, and spooky read that may get young resonances—“Hansen counsels using my chips, making some readers talking. moves, stealing a few pots, going for it; Rilke suggests patience and discipline. Never listen to a poet”—in a piquant counter- point that’s both insightful and entertaining. An engaging picaresque that explores the role of chance and fate inside the casino and out.

166 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | MEANT FOR YOU LILY LO AND THE Hagen, Layla WONTON MAKER EverAfter Romance (328 pp.) Hall, Frances Lee $15.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Inkshares (132 pp.) Nov. 13, 2018 $12.99 paper | $6.99 e-book 978-1-63576-508-3 Nov. 27, 2018 978-1-947848-64-1 In this third installment of the Con- nor Family series, a detective and a non- Delicious wonton soup brings together profit director take a chance on love. a Chinese-American girl, her grandfather, Paige Lamonica is happy to return and the community in this middle-grade to Los Angeles. The development novel. director for Three Emeralds, a nonprofit group dedicated to Third-grader Lily Lo of San Francisco wants nothing more human growth, she recently spent three years in Paris. While than for her school’s soccer team, the Leopard Sharks, to go to she enjoyed the opportunity to work in another country, she the Big Match. But there’s one thing she wants almost as much: missed her family and LA. She has two major projects on the to show off her skills to her grandfather Gung Gung. He’s never horizon: selling her grandmother’s inn and securing funding for come to her games before, but with her mother’s new work an education center for the homeless. While Paige celebrates schedule, Gung Gung will be there, and Lily can’t wait. But her homecoming with friends at the vacant inn, a concerned whenever she looks over to the stands, her grandpa is reading neighbor who suspects a break-in calls the police. Detective his newspaper and clipping coupons, not even looking at the

William Connor, relieved the call is a false alarm, is instantly field. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Morales, grandparents of Lily’s young adult smitten with Paige. He soon embarks on a campaign to win her best friend Rosana, are on their feet, watching and cheering affections, including helping her select an alarm system for the Ro’s every move. Another anxiety is starting Chinese school; inn and inviting her to his sister Lori’s wedding. Paige is deeply Ro won’t be there, but Deb, the bossy, critical daughter of the attracted to the ruggedly sexy and warmhearted Will, but she is soccer coach, will. Lily’s frustrations make her lose focus at cru- wary of pursing a relationship because of the dangers of police cial moments, but she gets a new perspective on her grandfa- work. As their connection deepens, Paige and Will discover the ther when he teaches her to make wonton soup from scratch rewards of building an intimate relationship and wonder if they and takes her to the senior center. She realizes he’s given up his have found true love. The latest entry in Hagen’s (Wild with time with friends to take her to games, and his coupons have Yo u , 2018, etc.) series sparkles with sharp storytelling, appeal- gone toward buying ingredients for soup served at the center. ing characters, and passionate romance laced with wit and After the Big Match, Lily teaches the Sharks how to make soup warmth. Like the previous installments, the chapters alternate for the seniors, and her friends realize that being a team goes between the two protagonists’ first-person perspectives. This beyond winning games. Hall (1964-2016) was a writer and pro- approach is particularly successful when it explores Paige’s hesi- ducer who received three Emmy Awards. In her sole novel, she tation about pursuing a romance with Will. Her father served offers an easily relatable character in Lily, with her energy, desire in the Army, and she was always worried about his safety. For for attention, and bursts of resentment or worry. These lead her this reason, she is concerned about repeating the same pattern to mistakes, often comical, if not to Lily, but the incidents give with Will since he faces perils as a detective. Paige and Will’s her cause for self-reflection. She learns to look beyond her own attraction develops quickly, but Hagen effectively keeps the concerns and consider others’ hardships. The book explores the romance at a slow burn punctuated by scenes that showcase the Chinese-American experience—not just through making won- author’s talent for lively dialogue and erotic heat. Family is the ton soup, but also, for example, when Lily discovers she enjoys emotional center of the series, and Will’s and Paige’s extended learning traditional Chinese characters—and the universal clans are prominently featured. delight in delicious food, which the ending spotlights. A glos- A sweet and tender contemporary romance that should sary of unfamiliar terms is included. please genre fans. A well-told, thoughtful, amusing story of maturing perspective.

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 167

INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Christopher Greyson

PUBLISHING TIPS FROM THE BESTSELLING THRILLER WRITER By Rhett Morgan

covery, I wrote Pure of Heart, but the publishing world was much different back then, and I shelved my dream. Twenty years later, my wife asked for help getting her book published, but e-books had now transformed the whole process. I didn’t want to experiment with self-publishing on my wife’s book, so I wrote Girl Jacked, and the minute my fingers hit the keyboard, the decision to become a writer was made for me. I need to write.

What were some of your inspirations for Jack Stratton? Jack is a mix of my grandfather and Steve McQueen, with a dash of Errol Flynn. Even as a child, I was fascinated with my grandfather’s story. He had a brutal childhood and bore deep scars, both physically and psychologically, from the war. None of this was evident to me, yet there was a story there. Jack’s a real blend of different inspirations, but when it comes down to it, Jack’s a wounded white knight in a fallen world.

Why do you think readers have connected so much Three years ago, Christopher Greyson was working the with this series? night shift at Target and had long put dreams of publish- Because it’s about pain and love and overcoming. I didn’t ing a novel behind. He felt that the publishing world was set out to write that. I set out to write a mystery with these only open to a select few, but the rise of digital self-pub- two main characters who happen to be very broken. In a lishing made him reconsider. After putting his novel Girl way, everyone is broken somehow. A traumatic event, a Jacked on Amazon as an experiment, Greyson’s thriller deep loss, repeated failure—everyone’s story has those ele- connected with readers and turned him into one of the ments. When they read about people who maybe have it a platform’s biggest successes. To date, he has sold more little bit worse off than them but rise above, it makes them than 1 million of his Jack Stratton mystery books and re- feel good. cently released the print version of his stand-alone thriller exploring the psychological aftermath of a murder, The What’s your best tip for those first trying Girl Who Lived, in bookstores across the nation. self-publishing? The No. 1 tip I have for getting started might surprise When did you decide to become a writer? people—ask a librarian! They love books and will go to I wrote my first book in college. I was a dancer and broke any length to help you add to the multitude surrounding four ligaments in my knee, and it ended my career. In re- them. I talk to librarians all the time now. They can help

168 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | you with everything, from pointing you to books that will help get you started to helping you understand the genre you’re writing in. If you want to become a writer, get to the library.

How did you get Jack Stratton to stand out among the other mystery and detective series on Amazon? UNHINGED It’s edgy and clean, which is a rare combination nowa- Hardt, Helen days. There’s nothing explicitly graphic in the books, yet Waterhouse Press (384 pp.) there’s plenty of gunfights, romance, and grit. I think $15.99 paper | $8.99 e-book Oct. 30, 2018 watching a lot of 1940s cinema helped. My readers 978-1-64263-014-5 range from mothers to Marines, grandmothers to grunts. That’s a huge spectrum, but it’s worth it because it gives In this erotic thriller sequel, a New Orleans vampire and his human lover me a huge reader base. struggle to understand their enigmatic but undeniably strong bond. Dante Gabriel and Erin Hamilton’s What do you have coming up next for your readers? first time together culminates in her consenting to the vam- I’m writing a trilogy of action books with a female yakuza pire biting her neck and consuming her blood. But coming out assassin named Kiku as the protagonist. She’s appeared of her euphoric haze, Erin is disconcerted by the full realization that her lover is a vampire. Though she steers clear of “the in some of the Jack Stratton stories, and she’s one of my V word,” she can’t deny their mutual allure. This, according favorite characters. to Dante, is a blood bond, an occurrence so rare that information on it is scarce. The Vampyre Texts may explain it, but Dante’s grandfather Bill hasn’t yet finished the translation.

Rhett Morgan is a writer and translator living in Paris. But why has it been so long since anyone has translated the young adult ancient tome? That’s just one of the countless mysteries challenging the couple. Erin, for one, has bite marks on her thigh and doesn’t know where they’re from, which likely means a vampire—most assuredly not Dante—has attacked her. There are also patients disappearing from University Hospital, where Erin, an emergency room nurse, works. She connects the missing patients by blood: They’re B positive, the same type the hospital keeps running out of. And though she’s trying to accept that vampires exist, Erin soon encounters more of the supernatural, including ghosts and, maybe, werewolves. Dante, meanwhile, is still recovering from his decade of captivity, courtesy of a female vampire known only as the queen. Her voice is constantly in Dante’s head, insisting she retains control of him. As in the preceding novel, Hardt’s (Unchained, 2018, etc.) second installment, though split into three parts, is one cohesive story. In fact, this book picks up immediately following the earlier one, carrying over mysteries ranging from Erin’s inexplicable bite marks to the still-unknown queen. The couple’s relationship shows unmistakable progress: While the first book teased their inevitable sex, Dante and Erin now face entirely new hurdles post-coitus. The most striking example is Bill’s claim that if their blood bond is broken, both will die. The author’s simple, concise prose sets an impressive pace. Succinct but descriptive details make peri- odic scenes in the ER exhilarating, as Erin and fellow nurses or doctors need to make quick decisions. Similarly, brevity during the explicit sex scenes amps up passion: The two are so desperate for each other that they typically forgo foreplay, leading to a fair share of thrusting and animalistic growling. The story grounds much of the supernatural elements, making the highlighted romance more believable. Dante, for instance, stresses that vampire myths are generally baseless (vamps are born and can’t transform humans by biting them). And, like others of his kind, he is akin to humans. It’s consequently amusing when this vampire hero doesn’t seem to

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 169 believe in ghosts. Along with spirits, Hardt adds numerous THIS IS THE FARM mysteries in the second volume and leaves quite a few ques - Hendrick, Perrin & Trienens, W.J. tions unanswered. Nevertheless, there’s some resolution (for Illus. by Hendrick, Perrin example, the fates of Dante’s father and uncle, who vanished Laser Pig Press (34 pp.) while searching for their abducted relative) and plenty of $17.99 | $4.99 e-book | Aug. 20, 2018 material for the third book. 978-0-692-17461-6 An electric, often tantalizing installment enhances this vampire series. Farmyard animals engage in flights of fancy in this debut picture book. In the clever rhyming couplets, farm animals are introduced THE THROWAWAYS with their inventive dreams. The pig wants to fly; the mouse Hawker, L.S. wants to go on Indiana Jones–type missions; the cat plans a heist; Vanishing Point Press Ltd. (382 pp.) and the sheep negotiates with aliens for peace on Earth. On the Jan. 22, 2019 left-hand page, the creature appears in a realistic watercolor 978-1-890391-09-6 and pen-and-ink painting. On the right, a full-page illustration 978-1-890391-10-2 paper in the same style shows the animal’s whimsical adventure: The duck, in a tie and glasses, gives a lecture on quantum physics to Four men find their identities, ethics, a bunch of chickens; the superspy horse, dressed in a hat, trench and friendships tested in this high-stakes coat, and glasses, lurks near the corner of one of the barns, car- thriller. rying a briefcase. Some of the dreams are believable—the cow George has finally stopped feeling hovers outside the farmhouse window to watch television, and like a nobody. When he’s accepted to the the dog cavorts in a messy kitchen—but most are extravagant University of Kansas Law School Class of 1989, he jubilantly fictions sure to delight young readers with their absurdities. calls his parents—only to be reminded that they still see him as The verse uses a simple rhyme scheme and accessible vocabu- a shadow of his older brothers—athletic and academic super- lary, flowing well from page to page. But Hendrick’s humorous, stars, twins who died tragically at the age of 22. Despondent, beautiful, and elaborate images are the real stars. George heads to the local liquor store and runs into a sorority Imaginative children should love these animal esca- girl named Stacia, who flirtatiously cajoles him into giving her pades—and even sticklers for realism may find themselves a ride and taking a shot of absinthe. The next thing George laughing at the antics. knows, he’s disoriented and covered in blood. His back seat is strewn with a gas can and a bloody knife, and the house Sta- cia entered has been blown up. His only coherent thought is WHERE TRIPLES GO TO DIE to stash the incriminating car back in his hometown of Niobe, Hutcheon, Phil Kansas. But he didn’t plan on running into his three closest Inkwater Press (404 pp.) childhood friends: Curt, a sensitive artist who has broken his $19.95 paper | $4.99 e-book family’s tradition of farming; Bill, a physics professor dealing Sep. 27, 2017 with major marriage and debt issues from his cocaine addic- 978-1-62901-514-9 tion; and Travis, a hardworking security guard who has always dreamed of becoming a cop. They’ve all felt abandoned by A put-upon academic copes with George, but the ensuing days of chaos and crisis will test their feuding jocks, corrupt professors, randy loyalty beyond what they could’ve imagined. Hawker (End of the students, and an even randier wife in this Road, 2017, etc.) expertly balances external and internal drama, comic novel. gradually fleshing out these men’s lives against the backdrop of As a middle-aged English profes- an ever expanding criminal conspiracy. Upon first meeting Curt, sor at subpar California State University, Malcolm Wade toils Bill, and Travis, there’s very little to differentiate them, but as thanklessly to improve his classes’ semiliterate writing while the story progresses, they each become memorable, with the occasionally fending off propositions from bosomy students portrayal of Bill’s addiction a particular standout. The plot trots seeking better grades. His sideline as counselor to the school’s along with plenty of satisfying revelations, and George’s charac- athletes is more dramatic—and gratifying to his sports obses- ter development remains intriguing right to the end. He claims sion. He gets to mentor baseball/football phenom Juke Jackson that throughout his life, others’ “disappointment was like a but also has to clean up a tangle of jealous betrayals and rape physical presence,” following and “scowling” at him—but the accusations involving the player, his girlfriend, and a teammate. thought of disappointing the friends who mean the most to him Complicating Wade’s job is an African-American history pro- in these critical moments could finally spur the personal change fessor whose low academic standards—jocks get automatic he’s been seeking. A’s—threaten CSU’s accreditation. When Wade challenges her, A twisty, emotionally rich drama. she graphically belittles his manhood and cries racism (even though she is secretly white). At home, Wade’s wife, Angela, a gorgeous nympho who is also his dean, flummoxes him by

170 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | A moving glimpse into the lives of a group of famous but mysterious women. faces of the matriarchs

announcing that she wants to adopt a child and then reveals their lives as they lived them, mostly as “spouse, homemaker, that her ex-boyfriend is blackmailing her with a sex tape. In this child bearer, and caregiver.” As the author herself points out, third installment of Wade’s misadventures, Hutcheon (Despera her art style is clearly inspired by Russian-French artist Marc tion Passes, 2015, etc.), a film and writing professor at Delta Col- Chagall’s work, with its dreamy juxtaposition of images, its hint lege, stuffs a meandering, episodic narrative with off-the-wall of surrealist imagination, and its use of brilliant color. situations, lurid characters, and punchy, gleefully scabrous dia- Overall, Lewis’ collection of artworks is an engrossing one. logue. (Sample marital exchange: “Are you coming in, or are you She aims for a realistic fidelity to her subjects, but, for her, that just going to stand out there twiddling your dick?”) The result doesn’t mean photographic realism. She powerfully captures the is a sometimes-cynical, sometimes-affectionate spoof of aca- complexities of all four of these intriguing figures, all “exemplary deme that’s masculinized with locker-room bawdiness. (When yet flawed,” and by extension, she provides profound illustra- his oral ministrations fall short, Angela rebuffs Wade “like a tions of different aspects of humanity. The author also man- pitcher being pulled from the game.”) The author writes with ages to deliver astonishingly complete expressions of the four skill and brio but sometimes offers readers too much. Scenes women despite the limited information that’s available about can drag on just to showcase the jokey repartee, and the pro- them: “what we do know suggests they are women of strength: fessor in him veers off on didactic tangents about everything they speak their minds and act; they show loyalty to God and from cancer awareness (“Half of the men in America don’t even their spouses and families,” she writes. Her descriptions and know what a prostate is until their own tries to kill them”) to commentaries offer lucid, even plain, language, permitting the the plight of returning veterans (“After all they’ve been through pictures, and the pertinent quotations from Scripture, to take in Afghanistan or Iraq, do we care enough to make sure they can center stage. She also limits the scope of her commentaries make a decent living here?”). Still, the nebbishy but subversively on the art itself, mostly offering observations about technical

funny Wade makes an endearing ringmaster for this rollicking production; this gives readers the interpretive space to freely young adult collegiate circus. fashion their own responses to it. What emerges is a moving An entertaining picaresque that mixes higher educa- glimpse into the lives of a group of famous but mysterious tion and sports in hilariously inappropriate ways. women—thrillingly concrete images that gesture in the direction of something more intimate. This book will be an unconventional treat for anyone who shares the author’s interests in FACES OF THE MATRIARCHS modern art and the history of Judaism. The book also hints at a An Artistic Depiction of broad, if less modern, interpretation of feminism along the way. Women in Genesis A gorgeous, thoughtful, and quietly provocative assem- Lewis, Melanie blage of art. Sociosights Press (56 pp.) $33.26 978-1-946295-02-6 BRAT AND THE KIDS OF WARRIORS An artistic exploration of four prom- Lyons, Michael Joseph inent women from the Torah. Bravur Media (358 pp.) Debut author Lewis has long been $22.95 | $9.99 e-book | Nov. 1, 2018 fascinated by the intersection of Judaism and art, and she finally 978-1-946957-02-3 found time to devote herself to examining it in depth after she retired in 2000 from her position as a college biology professor In this middle-grade novel, three at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She began tak- kids go on a dangerous adventure when ing art classes and eventually rented studio spaces and exhibited their father, a lieutenant colonel in the her work in art shows. Inspired by an exhibit of artist Natalie 4th Armored Division, deploys to West Frank’s work, which offered “feminist re-imaginings” of the Germany in 1957. Brothers Grimm’s famous fairy tales, the author set out to con- Military insiders think of “brat” as a term of endearment. duct an artistic investigation of four biblical matriarchs: Sarah, Seven-year-old Kirsten McMasters, aka Rabbit or “Wild Child”; Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah. Lewis created 12 original paintings her sister, Laura, nicknamed “Queenie”; and their secretly “wild” of them, done in acrylics and pastels, all beautifully reproduced but publicly well-behaved brother, Jack, accept the “brat” label in this coffee table–worthy hardcover. Each image is accompa- “with great pride.” So does debut author Lyons, who traveled nied by relevant biblical quotes, fleshing out each story’s con- the world as a so-called “Army brat,” and he draws on this life text, as well as Lewis’ own commentary, including an account experience in a romp that’s spiced with risk and history les- of her artistic process. Her approach is personal but panoramic, sons. Its tight, fast-paced plot will maintain readers’ interest, and in her artworks, the reader gets the opportunity to see each beginning with the McMasters children crossing the Atlantic figure from a variety of angles. For example, Sarah is portrayed on a troop ship, enjoying various escapades in off-limits areas as the “face of power,” the “face of joy,” and “the face of bro- while their seasick mom stays in bed. The dramatic tension this kenness.” Lewis doesn’t produce an iconoclastic deconstruction creates foreshadows dangers on the Army base in Baden-Würt- of these women in this book; instead, she attempts to capture temberg; these include Jack’s violent classmate, Ryan Kerrigan,

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 171 and his pack of bullies, who are mysteriously intent on keeping THE WONDER CODE other kids out of the nearby woods. The author creates believ- Discover the Way of able characters, including Jack, a reluctant hero who’s bad at Haiku and See the sports; with some help from friends and a kind Little League World with New Eyes coach, his own math skills, and inspiration from Spartan mili- Mason, Scott—Ed. tary culture, Jack becomes a “warrior” on the baseball diamond Girasole Press (371 pp.) and beyond. Kirsten is oblivious to surrounding perils, while $24.95 the older McMasters kids tensely sort out puzzles, such as why 978-0-692-93035-9 American soldiers are needed in Germany if the Nazis lost the war; where their father’s tank command goes; who the “Com- The winsome Japanese verse form mies” are; and why their mom hides fully packed suitcases in her can restore a sense of delight and cre- closet. Jack and Queenie are particularly perplexed when their ative adventure to jaded hearts, according to this poetry primer German nanny, who supposedly speaks little English, acciden- and anthology. tally reveals her fluency in the language and warns them not to Mason, a poet and editor of the online journal The Heron’s tell their parents. Throughout, Lyons’ simple yet direct writing Nest, offers haiku as a cure for “the subtle ways in which our style features engaging, realistic dialogue even when characters culture and times estrange us from wonder.” It’s a popular are explaining complicated topics, such as sonar tracking. form because of its friendliness to poets and readers alike: A lively yet serious read that both teens and younger three brief lines (or occasionally two or even one), with no children will enjoy. confining rhyme schemes or meters. (The iconic 5-7-5 syllable pattern can be broken at will.) The resulting bite-size poems go down easily, but, the author argues, they pack great power HAMLET within their diminutive expanse. He discusses haiku in the The Algonquin Cat framework of Zen aesthetics, illustrating with poems gleaned Martini, Leslie from The Heron’s Nest. Haiku portrays the Buddhist principles Illus. by Mongiardo, Massimo of focusing on the ordinary and small-scale (“last night’s rain / Roundtree Press (40 pp.) cupped in a banana leaf / a small green frog” by Ferris Gilli) and $16.95 | Sep. 4, 2018 finding a world in a grain of sand (“city sidewalk / colors swirl 978-1-944903-47-3 in a bubble / of spit” by Brenda J. Gannam). They capture life through rapt sense impressions (“autumn evening / the clink of A stray cat wonders if he has what it carnival rings / on empty bottles” by Chad Lee Robinson). Eva- takes to be the feline-in-residence at the nescent and usually in present tense, they abide in the moment Algonquin Hotel in this illustrated children’s-book sequel. and evoke large meanings from concentrated images (“in the One day, a scruffy orange tomcat is on the street; the next, rest home lounge / the silent piano / its line of cracked keys” he’s the new “Algonquin Cat” at the famed New York City hotel, by John Hawkhead). And they traffic in everyday mysteries now that Matilda is retiring. Since 1932, there have been 11 such (“soap bubbles / how softly mother / bursts into laughter” by cats, with the females named Matilda and the males, Hamlet. Kala Ramesh). Mason situates haiku in opposition to a West- Matilda shows the new Hamlet how to greet guests and flatter ern mindset that perceives objects as discrete and atomized. them. But he wonders if it’s all a mistake: “I am clumsy and I Haiku, by contrast, flows from a holistic Eastern worldview snore.” Matilda reminds him that all Algonquin felines were that sees everything as connected, in which “our perception once street cats and recommends drawing courage from the of boundaries...starts to give way.” famous Round Table. While snoozing below it, he hears a dis- Debut editor Mason includes nearly 500 poems in this embodied voice: “Do not be afraid. It is time to take your place.” sparkling anthology, showcasing the extraordinary versatility of Heartened, he confidently steps into his role. Two final pages moods and subject matter haiku can address and the vividness supply background on the hotel and the Algonquin Cat tradi- of its stripped-down but potent imagery. There are many land- tion. Martini (Matilda the Algonquin Cat, 2016) offers a pleasing scapes and nature scenes (“winter hills / with each boot crunch fable about feeling worthy when good fortune comes one’s way. / the scent of sage” by Jo Balistreri) as well as lyrically grungy This outing is less hotel-focused than the previous installment, urban tableaux (“dumpster / the iridescence / of starlings” by Bill but it still conveys the Algonquin’s special flavor. Gentle humor Kenney) and suburban nightmares (“suburban darkness / only nicely balances Hamlet’s moments of anxiety. Mongiardo’s sim- the rumble / of garbage can wheels” by Robert Forsythe). There ple but effective tricolor illustrations beautifully convey Ham- is sensual intimacy (“click-clack / of the bead curtain— / the let’s personality and the hotel’s appeal. sway of her hips” by Sandra Simpson) and social satire (“sing- A charming tale, particularly for fans of the legend- ing gondolier / the passengers’ / fixed smiles” by Kay Grimnes). ary hotel. There is birth (“circle of lamplight— / I complete the baby quilt / begun for me” by Carolyn Hall), aging (“sudden winter / the press of cold metal / against the paper gown” by Beverly Acuff Momoi), unbearable sorrow (“hot afternoon / the squeak of my hands / on my daughter’s coffin” by Lenard D. Moore),

172 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | A delightfully engaging collection that will educate and inspire other writers. writers on writing

remembrance (“her last words / snow falling / on beech leaves” JOHN MARK by Jeff Hoagland), and enigmatic hope (“she said she’d return / Born in Africa—Martyred as a seagull / which one” by Mason). in Africa A superb haiku collection for readers who thought they Mench, John didn’t like poetry, richly expressive and very accessible. Westbow Press (246 pp.) $35.95 | $19.95 paper | $3.99 e-book Aug. 21, 2018 VISIONS 978-1-973637-07-3 McCrea, S.T. 978-1-973637-05-9 paper iUniverse (334 pp.) $31.99 | $20.99 paper | $1.99 e-book With care and verve, Mench breathes Jul. 27, 2018 new life into ancient Christian Scripture. 978-1-5320-5279-8 Mench (Constantine, 2018, etc.) offers 978-1-5320-5277-4 paper a creative extrapolation on the life and times of the man many know simply as Mark, the author of the second Gospel of the A woman inherits a psychic ability Christian Bible. Mench describes his motives in fleshing out that helps her find missing children, but this figure in an author’s note, writing that he “has been con- now she’s a target. flicted by the lack of personality within the New Testament.” Milford, Connecticut, special edu- His book is an effort to breathe life back into the Bible. In his cation teacher Sara Slane Allbrooke own words, Mench “endeavors to add perspective to the mes-

can enter the minds of missing children—an ability she uses sage of the testament by creating lives for those who wrote young adult to help her husband, Detective John Allbrooke, solve tough and developed Jesus’ message.” So the author puts flesh on cases. While she’s in the mind of the kidnapped Teddy Hansen, these old bones, spinning a captivating tale of Mark’s (or John she hears the words “Let’s play a game!” and knows what comes Mark’s) birth, meetings with Jesus, and teaching and writ- next. The kidnapper, a cult member who also possesses psychic ing career. But the best part of his novel is that he holds true powers, has been feeding clues to Sara, specifically music notes, to the style of the original. Mench’s prose—like Mark’s—is as a part of a twisted game. Even though she can see and feel direct, concise, and digestible. Here is just a brief taste from a everything the child does, the kidnapper remains faceless. She passage about John Mark’s childhood encounter with Christ: meets Samuel Hawk, a retired Navajo detective, at the scene “Soon, Jesus started to speak. John could hear Jesus’ voice now of a crime. He believes this same kidnapper struck his reserva- and again, but he couldn’t see him. His driver picked John up tion before and ominously warns her that when a gift like hers is and put him on his shoulders.” There is an admirable clarity stopped, there are repercussions. Soon after, a co-worker gives to the language here—and throughout—that renders Mench’s her a difficult ultimatum: She must choose between teaching story intimate and accessible. According to the book of Acts, and working with the police. Sara—emotionally drained from John Mark is a friend of Paul’s and Barnabas’, and he bops her mind melding with children and desperately wanting to around the ancient Near East spreading the good news of the keep her teaching job—says she’ll stop helping the cops. Caleb, early church. Mench’s John Mark does the same, but if in the Sara’s brother, who also shares her talents, enters into the mix. Bible he is a footnote, here he gets his own star turn. Perhaps Slowly it becomes clear that the kidnapper doesn’t want these the only weakness of this well-imagined historical novel is that children; he wants Sara. Debut author McCrea builds a robust the author doesn’t provide a bibliography. narrative by focusing in on each of the complicated characters, An energizing account of the creation of the second such as the kidnapper’s conflicted son, who wants to distance Gospel. himself from his father’s cruelty. And at one point, Sarah’s husband, John, wonders: “What kind of man let—even pushed— his wife to continue doing something that was destroying her?” WRITERS ON WRITING Sara’s skill attracts characters interested in the power, includ- Conversations With Allen ing Samuel. While some subplots distract from the narrative, a Mendenhall shocking reveal and a cliffhanger ending leave a lot to anticipate Mendenhall, Allen in the planned sequel. Red Dirt Press (232 pp.) An absorbing but overpacked thriller with a multilay- $16.95 paper | Jan. 4, 2019 ered cast. 978-1-73273-832-4

A collection of question-and-answer sessions that offer in-depth insights into the writing craft. Mendenhall (The Southern Philosopher, 2017), the editor of the Southern Literary Review, has long been drawn to interviews with creatives and artists—an interest that

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 173 he’s fueled over the years by perusing the hallowed archives of community during a cholera epidemic; New England’s abolition the Paris Review. As an associate dean at the Jones School of Law and pacifist movements before the Civil War; the dangers of at Faulkner University, it’s perhaps unsurprising that he’s also 1880s lighthouse-keeping; mental health care in the early 20th highly aware of the various ways in which “people respond dif- century; U-boat spying during World War II; the agony of vet- ferently to probing inquiry.” However, one never gets the sense erans following various wars; and the rise of feminism. The book that the 46 writers he interviews in this book are being put on breaks the narrative flow with a compelling literary experiment, the stand; on the contrary, Mendenhall’s lines of questioning as “John’s Peril I” and “John’s Peril II” offer different outcomes are subtle, and he successfully fulfills his stated intention of for the same character. It’s reminiscent of author Jack Finney’s letting “the writers do the talking.” This collection will famil- twig-in-a-stream concept in Time and Again (1970), showing iarize readers with the approaches, techniques, and concerns how small occurrences bump into one another to alter history. of a diverse set of authors in a broad range of genres. Menden- Indeed, the idea of cause and effect forms a strong undercur- hall’s interviewees include crime-fiction writer D.J. Donaldson, rent in this collection—one that results in intriguing effects. In historical-romance novelist F. Diane Pickett, and (twice) poet “Shore Leave,” for example, a lighthouse keeper’s wife teaches and essayist Julia Nunnally Duncan, among many others. The her son, Ben, everything she knows about the heavens (“She Q-and-A’s touch on a spectrum of issues and offer rich and var- made sure Ben saw moonrises and moonsets and the morning ied discussion as well as powerful sound bites. Memoirist Rob- and evening stars”), and, by doing so, she inadvertently sets in ert P. Waxler, for instance, offers compelling commentary on motion Ben’s undoing in “Bottoms Up.” Readers may wish that the importance of books in a world increasingly dominated by the author provided a map of the many characters in these tales, “screen culture”: “Screens invite us to watch, to surf the current but they’ll still find it fun to track their connections. that pulls us along. By contrast, books, especially literature... A quirky, rich, and elegantly written epic. slow us down, offer an opportunity...to become self-reflective.” Historical novelist Steve Wiegenstein speaks of the exhilaration of writing: “It’s the closest I’ll ever get to walking the high DEAD MENTORS wire.” And YA novelist Colleen D. Scott writes of her desire to Nichols, Sandra expose the impact of social segregation: “I fear that lately we BalboaPress (268 pp.) are showing the signs that we might forget how important it $35.99 | $17.99 paper | Feb. 27, 2018 is to recognize our similarities and cherish our differences.” A 978-1-4525-6846-1 foreword by author and Mississippi State University professor 978-1-4525-6844-7 paper Robert West, which ponders the construction and meanings of the words “discover” and “interview,” is mildly interesting, if Nichols’ literary novel examines the superfluous. Overall, though, this is a delightfully engaging col- physical, psychological, metaphysical, lection that will educate and inspire other writers. and spiritual evolution of Sophia Dem- A fruitful discussion of authorship. ing, an unfulfilled 54-year-old Canadian expatriate, from the point of view of John Burns, a psychic who can remotely view the major events FORTY STEPS AND of her life. OTHER STORIES Deming and Burns meet only once in the prologue to Nich- Murphy, Terrence ols’ first novel, when Deming sits for a psychic reading from iUniverse (206 pp.) clairvoyant therapist Burns. She leaves skeptical of his predic- $23.99 | $13.39 paper | $3.99 e-book tions and returns to her life in Florida, her loving husband, and Jul. 27, 2018 a job she is good at but increasingly dissatisfied with. By using 978-1-5320-5303-0 Burns’ remote viewing as the basis for the narrative, Nichols 978-1-5320-5301-6 paper pulls off a neat literary trick: an omniscient narrator who can delve into Deming’s thoughts as well as actions without the Sixteen tales span about 1,000 usual restrictions on editorial commentary. Burns can even years as a New England town emerges, see the auras, imps, sprites, tricksters, and ghosts surround- becomes an art colony and tourist desti- ing Deming, allowing for well-wrought imagery that resonates nation, and faces a dark age. through both their realities: “I could even see Ella Fitzgerald This collection returns to Murphy’s (Assumption City, 2012) slowly emerge from the black and white poster like a smoky fictional community of Egg Rock on Massachusetts’ North apparition singing a requiem for buried souls above the Kelly Shore. In an elegiac tone that brings to mind Edgar Lee Mas- girls’ table,” says Burns. After various episodes of character ters’ 1915 poetry collection Spoon River Anthology, the tales fol- building, Deming discovers The Antiquity, a play dedicated to low characters as they make important decisions and show the her, written by the dead mother she’d always felt was closer to ramifications of their actions. The book opens with Vikings her two sisters. This discovery unleashes Deming’s true jour- arriving at a “magical” paradise—the future Egg Rock. The ney to full personhood—a path that simultaneously parallels stories then sail on to address the town’s early-1800s ice trade both Burns’ predictions and the futuristic world foretold in with the Caribbean; the impact of prejudice on Boston’s Irish The Antiquity. Nichols’ use of the psychic narrator generates an

174 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | elegant prose style reminiscent of 19th-century writers: “The their visit. The authors also grasp that their audience may have very first of these signals was the voice of a songbird whose a nascent interest in both scientific and supernatural phenom- whistles accompanied me during a walk on a summer afternoon ena, and they offer great jumping-off points for further research, near Wood Island.” Ultimately, the author adroitly guides Dem- as in the line, “matter on a subatomic level exists essentially as ing’s character toward an ending that satisfies on multiple levels. vibration.” Parents will be tickled by mentions of the rock band Well-written and compelling; will appeal to both fans of Rush and 1970s radio hits, such as Blue Öyster Cult’s “Don’t the paranormal and serious students of the human condition. Fear the Reaper.” However, they may be less enthusiastic about the kids’ dangerous overnight undertaking in the tale’s final third. Nevertheless, most readers will reach the end wanting to THE GIRL IN THE BLUE get to know the Mud Street Misfits better. TIE-DYE SHIRT A sweet adventure that celebrates the wisdom of young A Mud Street and old generations. Misfits Adventure O’Dell, Brian & Lauderdale, Beth Mud Street Misfits (110 pp.) THE COW WHO $7.99 e-book | Oct. 8, 2018 SAID...WOW! Perkinson, John This middle-grade novel tells the Illus. by Woodall, Ken story of a musically talented young man Wow Cow Publishing (16 pp.) who hits his head, gains a strange ability, $12.95 | Jul. 1, 2017

and draws his friends into a mystery. 978-0-692-76227-1 young adult In the small town of Ozark, Liam MacLeod and his best friend, Connor Harrison, ride their bikes A cow explores a farm and encounters to Ashford Park. Liam crashes and ends up with five stitches animal friends in Perkinson and Woodall’s debut board book. in his temple. Later, in school, he suffers a headache during a As she roams her farm, a friendly cow watches other farm test, which heightens his stress over a school orchestra dress animals in their natural habitats—a running colt and a horse, a rehearsal. He also must deal with bullies Dylan, Kaylee, and “lamb jumping a fence,” “piglets playing in mud,” and ducklings Brandon. Despite these distractions, Liam plays bass well dur- swimming and splashing in a pond. The cow even watches as ing the rehearsal, and his teacher, Mr. Walsh, nominates him for chicks hatch. Lastly, she comes across a farmer and his son rid- the Musicians Honors Performance Program. After school, on ing a tractor. The bovine is visibly enthralled by all she sees, and Mud Street, Liam and his sister, Molly, head to Connor’s house upon each encounter, she says: “Wow!” Woodall’s lively, graphic to hear a new vinyl record that his uncle gave him—the Allman illustrations are charming, featuring bold colors. Many pages Brothers’ 1972 album “Eat a Peach.” While listening, Liam holds include wide expanses of textured green grass juxtaposed with the used album’s sleeve—and somehow, he’s briefly transported a blue sky. All animals depicted have similar cartoonish eyes to a different bedroom with “wood-paneled walls and dirty red and cheerful smiles. The pictures also include fun details, like a carpet.” There, he sees a crying girl in a blue, tie-dyed shirt— reoccurring airplane flying in the sky. Although barnyard scenes just before finding himself back at Connor’s place. Liam begins are commonly featured in children’s literature, the interactive researching extrasensory perception and hears a story from his elements here make the book more unique. The book includes dad, Lloyd, about a spectral visit that he received from his own a red sound button that emits the word “Wow” when pressed. grandmother just before she died. Curiosity becomes fright, The story ends abruptly after the cow’s encounter with the however, when the sobbing girl again appears to Liam during farmer and his son; it would’ve been satisfying to see the cow orchestra practice. Connor suggests that the Mud Street gang and her animal friends gather together at the end. Still, the should track down the record’s previous owner—Greg Ortman, sparse text using simple language and repetitive phrasing (“and who wrote his name on the sleeve—to solve the puzzle. the cow said...Wow!”) will appeal to very young audiences. For their nostalgic debut, authors O’Dell and Lauderdale A fun storytime pick that emphasizes child participa- craft a musical mystery that will appeal to children and adults. tion and sensory skill development. Though clearly set in modern times (Liam uses Google and Wikipedia), the kids experience an idyllic childhood with bike rides, engaged parents, and secret missions into a nearby city. In total, there are five Mud Streeters, including Liam’s classmate Sarah and her younger brother, David, yet the narrative doesn’t attempt to give everyone equal time, instead choosing to focus on Liam and Connor. This is a wise decision that makes for an exceptionally well-paced story. Side characters, such as Cora, a psychic expert and the owner of a shop called Cora’s Crystals, appear briefly but memorably; she intriguingly tells the kids, “I didn’t realize it was already Wednesday,” as if she was expecting

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 175 Contemplative and original. radial bloom

TR’S LAST WAR focuses on the run-up to the war, he manages to paint a com- Theodore Roosevelt, the prehensive view of Roosevelt’s life and the “sheer bloodlust” Great War, and a Journey of of which he was formidably capable. This is a fine scholarly Triumph and Tragedy achievement: psychologically searching, scrupulously devoted Pietrusza, David to accuracy, and dramatically gripping. Lyons Press (424 pp.) A captivating look at a singular American figure and $34.95 | $32.99 e-book | Sep. 1, 2018 the tumultuous history he helped fashion. 978-1-4930-2887-0

A historical account examines Theo- RADIAL BLOOM dore Roosevelt’s quest to prepare the Ratto Parks, Amy United States for its entry into World Folded Word (84 pp.) War I. $12.00 paper | Nov. 15, 2018 In 1915, the British ocean liner the RMS Lusitania was sunk 978-1-61019-114-2 by a German U-boat while making its way from New York to Liverpool, killing nearly 1,200 passengers. Roosevelt was Ratto Parks’ (Song of Days, Torn and enraged by this act of naval aggression and equally furious Mended, 2015, etc.) mosaic novel pieces by what he considered President Woodrow Wilson’s pusil- together the inner life of a woman lanimous response to it. Roosevelt became obsessed with through a succession of prose poems. preparing the nation for war, though the country had neither After alliteratively establishing her the men nor the supplies—and perhaps not the funds—for a “normalcy” in the prologue—“Before you know the rest, you protracted foreign engagement. Wilson opposed him bitterly should know this: I live in a pleasant house on a quiet street and staked his presidency on the attractive combination of in a modern-day Mayberry with mountains”—Ratto Parks’ pro- peace and prosperity. Roosevelt seriously contemplated a bid tagonist proceeds to tell of her most irregular inner being in a for the presidency in 1916, but the GOP was deeply distrustful series of poetic vignettes. The pieces focus on a man, perhaps a of him as well as resentful given the way his failed third party muse, perhaps a ghost, or maybe an adult version of an imagi- bid in 1912 essentially ushered Wilson into office. Pietrusza nary friend, a conjured personification of cravings, desires, and (1960, 2018, etc.) powerfully captures Roosevelt’s frustration: thwarted fulfillment; he is sometimes a lover, sometimes cruel, “He wanted the presidency, craved vindication, fairly lusted and sometimes just a friend playing catch with a baseball. Ratto for a chance to crush Woodrow Wilson and all his old enemies. Parks’ work is contemplative and original: “I sat at the end of But he knew that for all his heroism, he lacked public support, the long hall of myself watching my life while I witnessed all and that fatal defect preyed upon him.” The author provides of those sacred places invaded” or “the silent ghost of old traf- a remarkably detailed account of the 1916 election and Roos- fic made every sound bright.” She augments her own polished evelt’s indefatigable push for military readiness as well as the verse with references, allusions, and outright quotes from a emotional toll the war took on him—all four of his sons fought wide variety of people and sources: Dante, T.S. Eliot, James in it, and one lost his life. Joyce, R.M. Rilke, and even John Wayne. Hallucinatory and Pietrusza’s research is magisterially rigorous, swinging dreamlike, the author repeatedly considers themes of loss either expertly from microscopic details to a vivid drawing of a more in water (“Then we finally gave in to the stones in our pockets general tableau. The fulcrum of the book is Roosevelt’s capa- and we sank through the salt brine”) or simply into thin air (“off cious character: his near-comical obsession with the trumpet- like kites blowing endless through the ether”). Throughout, her ing of manly virtue, his thunderous economic populism, and dream man and dream land prove as fickle as reality. He often his great sensitivity to loss—he had a “significant suicidal comes and goes at whim; appearing and disappearing without streak”—all somehow contained within one man. The author warning: “He was there after the rain, in the night lawns, thick memorably contrasts the former president with Wilson, a man and arcing, and I could feel him leaving me, falling away from Roosevelt came to deeply loathe, a patrician academic who the fabric of human air.” longed to disentangle the nation from Europe’s savage intra- Brilliant, at once dense and ethereal; rewards multiple mural disputes. Pietrusza clearly harbors an admiration for readings. his subject but avoids any fawning hagiography, though one could argue his depiction of Wilson could be more generous. Further, the author adeptly tracks the transformation of the country’s mood, which gradually moved closer to Roosevelt’s sentiments: disdainful of Wilson’s intrusive foreign policy in the Americas but dispassionately neutral when it came to Europe. Pietrusza’s prose is sharply buoyant and transparent, and the story unfolds almost in novelistic fashion, presented as an electric contest of dominating wills rather than a dry recitation of historical facts. And while the author’s treatment

176 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | DIONNA’S WARRIOR TO SQUEEZE A PRAIRIE DOG A Reverse Harem Romance An American Novel Ryan, Ruby Semegran, Scott Juicy Gems Publishing (430 pp.) Mutt Press (328 pp.) $12.99 paper | $3.99 e-book $15.99 paper | $3.99 e-book | Feb. 1, 2019 Apr. 25, 2018 978-0-9997173-8-7 978-1-982965-06-8 A young clerk gets caught up in a cost- Ryan’s (Touched by Death, 2018, etc.) saving scheme at work that rattles the first romantic fantasy in a new series tells Texas political establishment in this novel. the story of an inexperienced magic user J.D. Wiswall has left his rural home- forced into a war. town of Brady, Texas, and moved into In a massive country known as the a tiny cinderblock house in Austin. He’s taken a job with the Archenon, Dionna is training to be a Pyromancer, a sorceress state, working as a data entry clerk for the Department of who can control and weaponize fire. Before she can take her Unemployment and Benefits. His first day is unusual, ashe Assessment and graduate, her academy is attacked by the Sil- finds his new boss, Brent Baker, outside of the office, passed ithik, a race of giant, monstrous beetles with whom the Arch- out in some bushes. Brent claims he has epilepsy, but J.D. isn’t so enon have had an uneasy truce. The Silithik slaughter most sure. At work, his few colleagues consist of Deborah Martinez, of the other students—and all but one of the other would- a financially strapped mother of a grown son; Rita Jackson, a be Pyromancers—after sneaking in through a window that grandmother who runs the office lottery pool; and Conchino

Dionna left open while meeting her boyfriend for a nighttime Gonzalez, a silent car fanatic. The duties are tedious, but Rita young adult tryst. Now that war with the Silithik is back on, every fighter spices things up with hopes about a state contest. If the employ- in the Archenon must prepare for battle. Dionna is assigned to ees can generate an idea to save Texas money, there is a $10,000 a Quintelaide—a platoon of soldiers composed of one master prize. They plan to split the winnings if they succeed but have from each of several disciplines—as their replacement Pyro- no good ideas. Back home, J.D.’s mother writes that his aunt mancer even though she has grave doubts about her abilities as is worried about him in the big city: “I keep insisting that you well as near-crippling guilt. In order to defend her country and would never befriend hippies or smoke marijuana, but she is redeem her mistakes, she’ll have to win the trust of her team, inconsolable.” Meanwhile, a reporter is called to the office of including its Warrior, Jaxon, who lost his love in the attack. the Texas governor, a slippery partisan in a gold-plated wheel- Ryan’s prose effectively captures the adventure and whimsy of chair. He promises the journalist an exclusive, but she discovers the sword-and-sorcery genre as well as its magic: “The fireball something monumental on her own. At J.D.’s office, the hard- became white-hot flame the moment it left my fingertips, a drinking Brent thinks he has found a way to claim that $10,000 thousand hearths compressed into a single sphere the size and arranges a fateful meeting with the “Big Boss” that could be of my fist.” It also includes some romance-novel eroticism, life-changing for all involved. Semegran’s (Sammie & Budgie, 2017, which gives it an unexpected extra dimension: “I yelped as he etc.) gently humorous foray into the depths of Texas’ bureau- hefted my body as easily as one lifts a cup of wine, and then he cracy takes a while to get going; after all, he is describing one of was kissing me again, tongue prying apart my lips and danc- the more boring jobs around. But the pace picks up beautifully ing with mine.” Throughout, the author proves to be highly in the second half, as some chance occurrences and accidental competent in both of these modes, and as a result, the novel muckraking come together in a manner worthy of Texas politics. as a whole offers readers a satisfying bit of easily digestible Characterization is strong throughout the novel; the dialogue escapism. Fans of Ryan’s earlier Gryphons vs. Dragons series always rings true; and little touches add local color. For example, will particularly enjoy this novel, which serves as prequel and J.D. is never without pecan treats from his beloved hometown. promises more installments to follow. The conclusion is notable for all that’s changed but also what A sexy, swashbuckling sword-and-sorcery fantasy. will likely stay the same. A comic sendup of state government that remains lighthearted, deadpan, and full of affection for both urban and rural Texas.

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 177 The story becomes progressively weirder without losing its buoyant tone. dennis dunkle: on the road (and off)

THE QUINARY the planet Thear that guards four elements, including time Simmonds, Tracy itself, from attackers. Is it possible that Addy governs a fifth BalboaPressAU (310 pp.) element? In this debut, author Simmonds offers a narrative $19.92 paper | $3.99 e-book that sprints through a mix of supernatural fantasy and myth. May 23, 2018 Her main strength is her worldbuilding, evidenced, in part, 978-1-5043-1292-9 by her inclusion of such creatures as Brownies, dragons, and demons like Ehruh—who granted Verity unnatural youth. At In this fantasy debut, a woman with its heart, Simmonds examines “the most important decision” powerful magical abilities discovers that that anyone can make: “whether the world is your friend or her fate is entwined with those of heroes not.” Throughout, Addy is shown to be torn about using her from another world. powers; however, magic, when it does appear, is evoked clev - Twenty-three-year-old Addy Piper erly: “It swirled around her, a soft peppermint mist.” There’s lives in a room underneath the house of a gruff man named also a distinct environmentalist theme; at one point, Lord Rodic in the village of Darton. One night, he receives a Glock notes, “The biomass on earth is being depleted faster phone call from Addy’s mother, Verity, who left her there than it can restore itself.” 13 years ago. The abusive woman now wants her daughter A fearless, briskly paced tale that explores how the back so that she might exploit Addy’s vast but untapped tal- potential for positive change lies within everyone. ent for witchcraft. The young woman tries to flee, but her mother and a sinister man named Zyklon quickly find her. They hide Addy in a cave, where she wakes tied to a giant, DENNIS DUNKLE spinning wheel. The power-hungry Verity explains that Addy On the Road (and Off) may belong to a mysterious group known as the Quinary Simms, David and that she can perform a specific chant to pass her powers Livingston Press (158 pp.) to another upon her death. Soon, however, a shape-shifter Dec. 20, 2018 named Aquilae helps Addy escape. She clambers through the 978-1-60489-215-4 wilderness until she reaches the farmhouse of Rachel and 978-1-60489-214-7 paper Dane, who offer to help her hone her witchcraft. Later, when Rachel betrays Addy to Verity and Zyklon, Dane reveals that In this comic novel, a librarian he’s an agent of the aforementioned Quinary, a council on searches for the potential love of his life while on a cross-country road trip. After years of loneliness, Dennis This Issue’s Contributors Dunkle reluctantly joins the dating site Amorous After Fifty to # look for love. There, he gets pinged by Denise Dunedin, “only because she was also from Saint Plato—although not the New ADULT Colleen Abel • Maude Adjarian • Mark Athitakis • Colette Bancroft • Joseph Barbato • Sarah Jersey Saint Plato where Dennis has spent most of his life but Blackman • Amy Boaz • Ed Bradley • Jeffrey Burke • Tobias Carroll • Lee E. Cart • Kristin Centorcelli the North Dakota one, a place he hadn’t heard of since grade Melissa Chadburn • Jennifer Coburn • Ben Corbett • Kathleen Devereaux • Amanda Diehl • Bobbi Dumas • Daniel Dyer • Lisa Elliott • Kristen Evans • Mia Franz • Harvey Freedenberg • Devon Glenn school, when fourth-graders in the two Saint Platos wrote let- Amy Goldschlager • Michael Griffith • Natalia Holtzman • Jessica Jernigan • Tom Lavoie • Louise ters back and forth.” But it isn’t long before Dennis realizes Leetch • Judith Leitch • Elsbeth Lindner • Karen Long • Sawyer Lovett • Georgia Lowe • Michael that Denise is the woman he’s meant to spend the rest of his Magras • Don McLeese • Gregory McNamee • Clayton Moore • Ismail Muhammad • Christopher Navratil • Liza Nelson • Mike Newirth • Therese Purcell Nielsen • Mike Oppenheim • Jim Piechota life with. That’s why, when she invites him to come live with William E. Pike • Steve Potter • Carolyn Quimby • Evelyn Renold • Erika Rohrbach • Michele Ross her and her cat, Tuffy, in North Dakota, he abruptly quits his Bob Sanchez • Rosanne Simeone • Linda Simon • Margot E. Spangenberg • Rachel Sugar • Deborah job as the librarian at Saint Plato Community College; packs Taffa • Claire Trazenfeld • Jessica Miller • Steve Weinberg • Marion Winik • Lauren Winner his own cat, Sebastian, into his weathered Chrysler Cruiser; CHILDREN’S & TEEN straps a toilet to the roof (Denise’s is broken); and heads out Lucia Acosta • Autumn Allen • A. Arethna • Kimberly Brubaker Bradley • Christopher A. Brown on a hastily planned road trip across the continent. When he Jessica Brown • Patty Carleton • Hicham Chami • Alec B. Chunn • Jeannie Coutant • Erin Deedy Luisana Duarte Armendáriz • Omar Gallaga • Laurel Gardner • Carol Goldman • Melinda Greenblatt reaches North Dakota, however, he finds a note saying that Vicky Gudelot • Heather L. Hepler • Gerry Himmelreich • Julie Hubble • Kathleen T. Isaacs • Megan Denise has run off with another man—a man from Saint Plato, Dowd Lambert • Hanna Lee • Angela Leeper • Peter Lewis • Kyle Lukoff • Joan Malewitz • Gauri Alabama. After spending a night in her house, Dennis gets a Manglik • Michelle H. Martin PhD • Jeanne McDermott • Mary Margaret Mercado • J. Elizabeth Mills • Tori Ann Ogawa • Deb Paulson • Rachel G. Payne • John Edward Peters • Susan Pine • Rebecca call from Denise asking him to meet her in that third Saint Rabinowitz • Asata Radcliffe • Kristy Raffensberger • Amy B. Reyes • Erika Rohrbach • Leslie L. Plato. She made a mistake, she claims, and she’s willing to Rounds • Lenny Smith • Rita Soltan • Jennifer Sweeney • Deborah Taffa • Pat Tanumihardja marry Dennis if he just comes to Alabama. Dennis does and Renee Ting is informed that he’s just missed her. There’s another clue left INDIE for him, another promise, another destination—but as Dennis Alana Abbott • Rebecca Leigh Anthony • Kent Armstrong • Jillian Bietz • Julie Buffaloe-Yoder quickly learns, actually getting to Denise is much harder than Darren Carlaw • Charles Cassady • Michael Deagler • Stephanie Dobler Cerra • Steve Donoghue • Joe Ferguson • Lynne Heffley • Jennifer Helinek • Justin Hickey • Elizabeth Kazandzhi • Ivan Kenneally driving to any one point on the map. Mandy Malone • Rhett Morgan • Katerina Pappas • Joshua T. Pederson • Sam Power • Matt Rauscher Simms’ (The Stars of Axuncanny, 2006) rapid prose is full Sarah Rettger • Alicia Rudnicki • Jerome Shea • Barry Silverstein of detail and cartoonish humor, as when Dennis remembers

178 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | how his mother despised him and his affection for felines: recollection, he’s nearly ousted from a neighborhood tavern “The more she hated cats, the more she hated Dennis, for being a “dirty kike.” And just as Soviet authorities dissemi- although she already hated him a lot. She tried to poison nate false information to the outside world, they shield their him once, he was three, but the hot dog smelled funny to own from exposure to more successful alternatives. Tsesis was him. New type of hot dog. Eat! she demanded.” There’s a bit denied permission to use his vacation time to take a cruise to of 1990s nihilism underwriting the book’s worldview, but it the Mediterranean, the desire to travel considered inherently never gets too desperate or ceases with the one-liners. The suspicious. The author’s remembrance is an edifying look at novel’s premise is unbelievable and yet also completely ten- the wages of authoritarian rule, which resulted in the routine able given the slanted logic of the world the author creates. deaths of young children from easily treatable conditions Real human relationships have the same push and pull as like dehydration. His account is unflinching and often mov- Dennis and Denise’s, even if they usually don’t require so ing: The story a tearful wife shared with Tsesis captures the many road trips, and it’s fairly easy to sympathize with the heart of this book. Her husband had to beg an official to give protagonist’s quixotic mission. Even Denise manages to feel their sick child the proper medicine. She lamented: “I am a less like a villain than an intriguing mystery caught up in her law-abiding citizen, but I ask you, is it fair to go through all own equally quixotic whirlwind. The story becomes progres - this humiliation?” sively weirder without losing its buoyant tone, and despite A historically eye-opening memoir told with insight the satirical edge, readers should come to truly care for Den- and wit. nis and wish him success in his quest. A short, funny, and oddly engrossing tale about a man looking for a woman. YOUR HOME SWEET HOME

How to Decide Whether young adult You Should Stay or COMMUNIST DAZE Move in Retirement The Many Misadventures of a Tzougros, Penelope S. Soviet Doctor Wealthy Choices (306 pp.) Tsesis, Vladimir $19.95 paper | $9.95 e-book Indiana University Press (238 pp.) Sep. 14, 2018 $60.00 | $19.00 paper | $18.99 e-book 978-0-9709870-3-7 Feb. 13, 2017 978-0-253-02594-4 Unlike general retirement guides, 978-0-253-02586-9 paper this book focuses on decisions related to housing. A physician recounts three years of Recognizing that one’s living situation is a crucial retire- service in a small Soviet village and the ment issue, financial planner Tzougros Long( Term Care Insur horrors of the communist medical system. ance, 2016, etc.) raises key housing-related questions and In exchange for tuition-free medical school, Tsesis (Why offers factual answers without overlooking the emotional We Remain Jews, 2013) was obligated to perform three years decisions related to staying put or relocating. Obviously, hous- of service as a doctor in an “underserved area”—in his case, ing is a complex problem, and where to live in retirement is Gradieshti, a farming village of 5,000 inhabitants in rural a very personal choice, so this manual neither simplifies nor Moldova. The author was almost forcibly pushed into military minimizes the various aspects of this matter. It covers the service—he was threatened with academic failure—but was financial side of determining if a house is a retirement asset, saved from that fate because he was a pediatrician, a specialty provides ways to assess one’s current residence as a place to dangerously underrepresented in the Soviet Union, which was grow older, surveys numerous options (with an especially help- plagued by terrifyingly high infant mortality rates. When he ful comparison chart), and ponders the physical, emotional, arrived in Gradieshti, he encountered remarkably primitive and monetary implications of moving. Part of the strength of conditions—few homes enjoyed the unreliably delivered elec- the book is its heavy reliance on numerous stories of retirees tricity or had indoor plumbing; poverty was crushing; alcohol- facing and making different decisions about housing based on ism was “rampant”; and the sanitary conditions were appalling. their own unique circumstances. In a nice touch of personal- In short, it was a woeful microcosm of the Soviet Union at ization, for example, one chapter chronicles an evening party large, vividly captured by the author. And the health system in which retirees chat about housing; recipes for food served itself was nothing like the “grandiose global show” theatri- at the soirée are even included in an appendix. These vignettes, cally staged by the government—in fact, there were chronic often told from the perspective of each retiree, make it clear shortages of basic medicines, including penicillin; under- to readers that there is no single solution to what can become trained doctors deprived of the best equipment; and ubiqui- an emotional, if not financial, dilemma. Perhaps most helpful tous corruption, all masked by mendaciously contrived data. is the manual’s “Decision Guide” that effectively summarizes In his memoir, Tsesis also chillingly describes his unfortunate the content and facilitates objective verdicts about housing. encounters with an all-too-common anti-Semitism—in one Tzougros cleverly structures the volume in two versions. One,

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 179 a narrative version, encourages written answers to specific zeppelin after putting an incriminating item in the queen’s questions; the other, a chart, distills the account into sug- cabin, though not before being spotted by Alÿs de Valois, a gested answers and allows readers to simply circle the right princess of France. When Thaddeus’ planted ring is discov- ones to make a “Stay” versus “Move” decision. Throughout ered, the queen is arrested on the suspicion that she’s secretly the authoritative book, and in the appendices, the author in league with Rome; meanwhile, back on the ground, Thad- includes questionnaires and additional charts to be completed deus is nearly murdered by the mysterious man who sent him with various information, such as costs associated with the on his mission. The plot that he’s set in motion may bring current residence versus potential new housing. Some of the down the queen and her country unless he, Alÿs, and some charts in particular may seem intimidating, but they should other pawns in the game can figure out just what’s going on. prove valuable in making a more lucid decision about retire- Veaux and Rickert summon their fictional alternative London ment housing. with all of its slang, soot, and Victorian (or rather, Margaretian) A well-executed, clear, and highly informative retire- squalor: “night had finished its long fall and was lying sprawled ment manual, if a bit overwhelming at times. out over the disorganized heap of Old New London. Rows of gas lamps created uneven pools of light along the roads. Deep shadows lurked between.” The authors show a great deal of BLACK IRON relish for the milieu they’ve created for this story, which, for Veaux, Franklin & Rickert, Eve example, also includes animates—undead laborers stitched Thorntree Press (336 pp.) together from dead-body parts: “They were frightfully expen- $19.95 paper | $11.99 e-book sive, and as beasts of burden they were only moderately useful, Oct. 26, 2018 but they’d been all the rage since that doctor from Geneva had 978-1-944934-65-1 started making them a couple of years back.” The enthusiasm is infectious, and readers will quickly find themselves becom- Veaux and Rickert’s (Polyamory and ing caught up in the characters, the intrigue, and the slightly Jealousy, 2016, etc.) steampunk novel tells altered customs of this well-plotted mystery. the story of a conspiracy that threatens A satisfying alternate-history work that doesn’t skimp to bring down the British monarchy. on adventure. Thaddeus Mudstone Ahmed Alex- ander Pinkerton wakes up in the gutter in New Old London, suffering temporary amnesia after literally falling out of the TWO COINS sky. The year is 1855, but in this alternative history, England Wagner-Wright, Sandra is ruled by Queen Margaret the Merciful, ally of the France- Wagner-Wright Enterprises based Reformed Holy Catholic Church in its struggle with (504 pp.) the Catholic Church of Rome. Her London is filled with refu- $17.99 paper | $4.99 e-book gees from the war as well as clankers (11-foot-tall, mechanical Feb. 1, 2019 iron men). Thaddeus has just leapt out of the queen’s personal 978-0-9963845-4-4

In this riveting historical novel based

KIRKUS MEDIA LLC on true events, political tensions in a Scottish mission in 19th-century Cal- # cutta, India, give rise to a sexual scandal. Chairman HERBERT SIMON Mary Pigot has been the superintendent of the Ladies’ Association Female Mission in Calcutta for 10 years before President & Publisher MARC WINKELMAN the Rev. William Hastie arrives in 1879. Hastie, the principal of the Scottish College, quickly finds fault with Pigot’s poli- Chief Executive Officer MEG LABORDE KUEHN cies, practices, and mannerisms; for example, he feels that # the orphanage that she manages isn’t up to Scottish standards of cleanliness. Hastie and his comrades also don’t agree with Copyright 2019 by Kirkus Media LLC. her proselytizing approach: “educate first, convert later—if KIRKUS REVIEWS (ISSN 1948-7428) is published semimonthly by Kirkus Media LLC, ever.” Nor does Pigot share Hastie’s resentment toward mem- 2600Via Fortuna, Suite 130, Austin, TX 78746. Subscription prices are: bers of the Free Church, which broke away from the Church Digital & Print Subscription (U.S.) - 12 Months ($199.00) of Scotland in 1843. She’s quick to assist anyone who needs Digital & Print Subscription (International) - 12 Months ($229.00) help—even members of the local community whom Hastie Digital Only Subscription - 12 Months ($169.00) Single copy: $25.00. finds questionable. The growing friction between Pigot and All other rates on request. Hastie culminates in a formal investigation of the superinten- POSTMASTER: dent followed by libelous claims that she’s abusive, neglectful, Send address changes to Kirkus Reviews, PO Box 3601, Northbrook, IL 60065-3601. incompetent, and immoral. Due to her casual demeanor with Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710 and at additional mailing offices. male colleagues, her enemies accuse her of “fornication” with

180 | 1 january 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | A limber and suspenseful second volume. stranger

an Indian man and a fellow missionary. To clear her name and larger events, such as the biblical Great Flood, which Lamech take back her position, Pigot takes Hastie to court, leading witnessed firsthand. A 15-year narrative gap omits essential to an unpredictable, sensational trial. Although the book is parts of Lilith’s backstory, including her process of amassing set in the 1800s, its approach to political, religious, cultural, her coven, but this and other events may yet be explored in and gender-related issues is surprisingly relevant. Wagner- planned sequels. Wright (Rama’s Labyrinth, 2015, etc.) paints India’s culture Familiar mythological characters populate a creative, and climate in stunning detail: “March comes on like a slow enjoyable story. fire. Another week, and we’ll have the humidity.” The realistic, intricate characters take turns narrating the tale, panorami- cally revealing themselves through their perceptions. At one STRANGER point, for example, Hastie narrates, “I stop and take a breath, Clash of the Aliens composing myself for this audience of fools.” The plot’s first Wood, M.B. half proceeds at an unhurried pace, but when the trial starts, Faucett Publishing (333 pp.) its momentum resembles that of a competitive sporting event. Wagner-Wright’s extensive research allows her to stay remark- Stranded in Ohio after a nuclear war, ably true to history while her creativity brings an outstanding an alien from an extraterrestrial expedi- story of courage and fortitude to life. tion strives to revive human technology A powerful story with a vivid setting, compelling plot, to repair his damaged spaceship in this and multifaceted characters. sci-fi sequel. Wood’s (Collapse, 2018, etc.) series

curtain raiser featured Cleveland area young adult THE WITCH OF ENDOR engineer Taylor McPherson assuming leadership after a global Vampires nuclear strike by Islamic terrorists. That attack caused the Wheeler, R.K. “Collapse,” a decline of worldwide civilization into pre-indus- Self (152 pp.) trial savagery. McPherson and some Ohio neighbors formed $0.99 e-book | $17.46 audiobook “the Clan,” a community to defend against raiders and looters. Jan. 2, 2018 Now, 20 years later, the Clan is a self-sustaining, agricultural nation-state. But—led by status-hungry “Elders,” who barely Wheeler (Scions of Azazyel, 2017, etc.) remember old times—the group is also insular and tribal, little launches a fantasy series with a tale of a witch-turned-vampire better than its backward rivals like the “Midwest Federation” whose new life includes mythical creatures and her own coven. downstate. Into the Federation, however, arrives an extraordi- Lilith has been capable of wielding magic and convers- nary visitor who was a subplot in the first book. Bilik Pudjata ing with spirits ever since she was a child. After her parents belongs to a deep-space mission by the reptilian Qu’uda, who die, she opens a shop, telling fortunes and selling amulets in detected life on Earth—ironically just before the nuclear holo- the town of Endor. There, she meets a man named Lamech, caust. With their starship crippled by shots from an automated and the two gradually fall in love. Lamech admits that he’s a defense satellite, the aliens’ one hope is Bilik, clumsily re-engi- vampire, and Lilith allows him to turn her so that the two can neered as humanlike to infiltrate the “dry land egg-sucking spend immortality together. She later gets pregnant and sub- mammalian vermin” and restart metal-forging technology to sequently gives birth to a gorgon, whom they name Medusa. build crucial replacement parts. Readers with memories of the But when King David, who has a policy of banishing and kill- later, darker chapters of Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King ing magic-users, sends troops to Endor, the couple and their Arthur’s Court may note the captivating parallels. Bilik—his child flee. While they’re at sea, sailors attempt to rob them, name phonetically misinterpreted as “Billy Potato”—becomes inciting a fiery confrontation that separates Lamech from his the technocratic boss of the Federation and reintroduces elec- wife and child. Lamech, who believes that Lilith and Medusa tricity, mass-produced guns, and regimented discipline to are dead, becomes the prisoner of a powerful immortal, while barely comprehending feudal barbarians. Meanwhile, a suspi- Lilith establishes a coven of vampires in Greece. Years later, cious and bellicose Clan needs the advice of the aged, deposed she hears of Maldivar, a vampire using werewolves in a quest to McPherson on what to do about unfamiliar weapons, trained destroy others of his own kind, and it isn’t long before he and soldiers, and flying machines. Wood’s first installment of his his beastly lackeys come for Lilith’s coven. Wheeler’s story Clash of the Aliens five-part series was a well-told but stan- seamlessly blends Christian elements with Greek mythology. dard post-apocalyptic survivalist tale. Here he contributes a Medusa’s father, Lamech, for example, is Cain’s descendant, limber and suspenseful second volume. McPherson and espe- whose vampirism stems from accidentally killing his ancestor; cially Bilik are among the few sympathetic characters in this thus, he’s afflicted with Cain’s curse. There’s a plethora of other coarse world, with each one heroic and tirelessly resourceful recognizable figures, as well, from fallen angels to Lilith’s lover yet ultimately cast aside by their selfish brethren. Wood offers Adonis and their twin gorgon daughters, Sthenno and Euryale. considerable battle scenes (“That’s a lot of gunfire....It was Shig’s Wheeler effectively teases the series’ epic potential by prefac- last thought as a large caliber lead ball smashed through his ing chapters with snippets of verse, which sometimes allude to chest, lifting him out of his saddle”). Amid the vivid clashes is

| kirkus.com | indie | 1 january 2019 | 181 the tantalizing question of whether the two remarkable protagonists will ever actually meet and what might ensue. The prospect of future books is indeed promising. A superior second installment of an intriguing dystopian saga.

CHINESE MOSAIC Memoirs, Short Stories, Essays and Columns Yu, Shiao-Shen Xlibris (184 pp.) $29.99 | $19.95 paper | $11.99 e-book Jul. 26,2018 978-1-984543-08-0 978-1-984543-09-7 paper

A writer offers autobiographical vignettes, short stories, and reflections on Chinese culture and history. In this book, Yu (Two Swordmasters, 2018, etc.) reveals that her “official and reported” birth date in north China is April 1, 1939. A self-described “unwanted girl child,” she was born after the Nanjing Massacre, when Japanese troops murdered an estimated 3 million Chinese people in a matter of weeks. Her father had been captured by the Japanese to work as an inter- preter while her busy mother kept eight children safe from the Japanese army. In 1949, Yu’s family escaped from Communist China to Taiwan. Many years later, the author wrote columns for an American newspaper, the Pueblo Chieftain, and dreamed of publishing a book about China. After battling cancer in 2006, she was determined to realize her dream and pass down stories to her grandchildren. The end result is this heartfelt compilation of childhood memories and tales about Chinese culture and history. Divided into two parts, the book’s first section presents 16 easy-reading selections: autobiographical pieces, short stories, and essays. Sometimes the volume feels like an informative classroom lecture; for example, in the essay “Three Chinese Poems,” Yu briefly discusses classical Chinese poetry. Other works are much more personal. Once, on a terrible train ride, Yu’s mother hid from Japanese soldiers by disguising herself as a man and her daughters as boys. The author also paints a memorable portrait of the outmoded custom of foot binding. In “My Mother’s Big Feet,” Yu’s mother—whose forward-thinking father wouldn’t allow her feet to be bound—was ridiculed her entire life for having “big” (smaller than size 5) feet. And the tender reflections in “A snowy night in Canada” chronicle the author’s struggles to raise her daughters alone. The second section presents 41 newspaper articles with details that should leave a lasting impression on readers of all ages. For example, “The Archer and the Moon Goddess” explains why ceramic rabbits are popular gifts for children during the moon festival. While they are not chronological, these succinct works are easy to browse, and Yu’s lively prose brings her subjects to life. Quick, colorful glances at a rich culture.

182 | 1 january 2019 | field notes | kirkus.com | Appreciations: Kingsley Amis Pours a Drink

BY GREGORY MCNAMEE

Of bibulous literature there is no end—at least before these abstemiously puri- tanical times. We have the example of François Rabelais, who wrote, “Most illustrious drinkers…to you and you alone are my writings dedicated.” There is Euripides, whose Bacchae records a drinking party gone very bad, and Petronius, whose drinking parties never ended. Malcolm Lowry’s Under the Volcano warns that if the liver doesn’t get you, the lava will, and then there are Ernest Hemingway and poor F. Scott Fitzgerald, both victims of the bottle. Even James Bond, that most suave of tipplers, must have felt awful on awakening, as did Bertie Wooster, who at least had Jeeves to bring him an antidote and a steaming plate of B&E. Of bibulous readers, of course, there is also no end, which explains why Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide has sold so steadily for more than 80 years. To those readers we must commend Kingsley Amis’ Everyday Drinking, whose title is more than self-explanatory. Amis (1922-1995) was an English novelist who set an example

of manly self-indulgence for the readers who escaped Ian Fleming—Christopher Hitchens, for instance, who young adult learned to drink at Amis’ knee, which may not entirely be a recommendation. Indeed, drinking and gender roles went hand in hand in Amis’ universe: “Most gin in this country is drunk with tonic and ice and lemon. And, if you want to take the trouble, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. After many years of exposure, I find this a rather unwor- thy, mawkish drink, best left to women, youngsters and whisky distillers.” What whisky distillers have to do with gin must remain a mystery, but Amis reveals himself to be a fellow of stern and unshakable opinions. One concerns pairing food with wine. By Amis’ account, there’s a certain “tyranny of wine” at play, and no wine whatever goes with many things that figure on the table, such as eggs, sausages, fish and chips, salads, and “a whole range of staple unsmart British dishes.” And what does? Beer, of course, which is why you’ll find hobbits and dwarves and suchlike creature sucking down the suds in those veddy British Tolkien novels. A nice roast chicken, on the other hand, can accommodate either red or white wine, so long as there’s no stuffing involved— for there the rules change. Everyday Drinking is a lot of fun to read with a glass of something in hand, as is Tom Standage’s History of the World in Six Glasses, Christopher Finan’s Drunks, and many another boozy book. The thing is to be careful, for science has yet to produce a cure for the hangover, apart from mounds of anti-inflammatory painkillers and gallons of water and the passage of time. Where science fails, art must enter. Amis would shudder with nationalist horror, I imagine, but a traditional Mexican remedy serves: eat a large, steaming bowl of tripe laced with exquisitely hot chiles. The chiles, known analgesics, will ease the pain, and the tripe will soak up some of the evil afloat in your bloodstream. Now go forth, most illustrious drinkers…. Gregory McNamee is a contributing editor.

| kirkus.com | appreciations | 1 january 2019 | 183 Learn about “ An honest and remarkable heartfelt story heroines who of survival.” have shaped —Kirkus Reviews the world.

REAL-LIFE HEROES STILL CELEBRATE EXIST EXTRAORDINARY FIGURES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

 “Deeply patriotic.”  “An excellent Inspiring stories of women —Kirkus Reviews addition to any from across history collection.” —SLC

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