Showing posts with label slowing down. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slowing down. Show all posts

Early Book Review: This is a Birthday Cake by Andrew Cangelose, Josh Shipley

This is a Birthday Cake is a picturebook written by Andrew Cangelose and illustrated by Josh Shipley. It is currently scheduled for release on July 12 2022. It's Taco the squirrel's birthday, and all of his little animal friends are planning a big surprise for him—they're going to make him a birthday cake! The only problem with their plan is that the baker in the group is too slow. So, as this sassy crew of critters is known to do, they set out to learn all they can about birthday cakes and how to make one, with spectacularly disastrous and delightful results.

This is a Birthday Cake is a fun and highly entertaining read. I like that readers get a bit of history about birthday cakes, and how to bake one, even as we go along as Bucky speeds through a much less tasty cake making process. I thought that Bucky's desire to hurry things along and do things his own way is something that many young readers can relate to, as are the less than perfect results. I like that while a lesson is learned, the book is still a joy to read without feeling like the lesson was the only point of the book. The story and illustrations are great fun and never treat the readers or even the impetuous Bucky like they are bad for the mistakes that they make. This was just a fun read and I think it would be a great choice for storytime, bedtime, and multiple reads by new fans.  

Book Review: Sloth at the Zoom by Helaine Becker, Orbie

Sloth at the Zoom is a picturebook written by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Orbie.  One day, a sloth accidentally gets delivered to the Zoom! She was supposed to be dropped off at the Zzzzzoo, a much more laid-back, slow-paced place. She had been looking forward to long, languorous naps while the sun gently warmed her belly. But at the Zoom, the zebras gallop so fast they leave their stripes in puddles. The monkeys climb so fast they forget to stop at the treetops. And the parrots fly so fast their tails draw rainbows across the sky. When the sloth tries to make friends, nobody has any time--until the sloth meets a creature who's a little more her speed, and everyone stops to notice. 
Sloth at the Zoom is a fun picturebook about slowing down. No one at the Zoom is willing to slow down to make friends with the sloth. Her slow pace seems silly to the busy animals zooming around. I like that the sloth never gives up, but keeps trying to convince others to slow down and take tea with her, or simply to take a moment and chat. It is only when the sloth ad a snail connect, and take some time to enjoy each other's company that anyone else seems to notice. However, once they stop and join in the quiet moment they all seem to relax and enjoy it. I like that the story shows very different creatures slowing down to enjoy some time together, and that they can all use some down time. The illustrations are great, capturing the speed of the fast animals as well as the humor used to exaggerate that speed.
Sloth at the Zoom was fun and cute, and I am a sucker for a sloth. It was good, and I enjoyed it, but it did not wow me. I think something about the ending fell flat for me, but I cannot put my finger on what I wanted to be different. 

Book Review: Decelerate Blue by Adam Rapp, Mike Cavallari

Decelerate Blue is a graphic novel from Adam Rapp and Mike Cavallari. In this new world, speed and efficiency are everything, and the populace zooms along in a perpetually stimulated haze. Angela thinks she's the only person in her family—maybe the only person on the planet—who sees anything wrong with this picture. But the truth is she's not alone. Angela finds herself recruited into a resistance movement where the key to rebellion is taking things slow. In their secret underground hideout, they create a life unplugged from the rapid-fire culture outside. Can they free the rest of the world before the powers that be shut down their utopian experiment?

Decelerate Blue is a well done graphic novel, with a nearly perfect connection of story and artwork. I really enjoyed the art style, and thought the choice of black and white for the majority of the book, with very important choices of where to use partial or full color to bring out important moments or themes. I thought the story itself was a important one, in a world where the importance of always being busy, always doing, seems to be overwhelming all of use. Even young kids seem to be moving faster and faster, scheduled to the minute of every day. The benefits of slowing down and enjoying a moment or more seems to be less and less important to most. I thought the graphic novel was a solid story, and one that was engaging and thought provoking. Combined with the art style I think it was pretty close to perfect.  

Decelerate Blue is a graphic novel for teens and adults that can perhaps make a difference with those too caught up in always being on. I know it encouraged me to take a moment and just breathe, enjoying some unseasonably nice weather rather than rushing to do whatever task was next on my to do list. It still got done, but taking a moment to slow down made my day much better. I think many others will enjoy the book and take a moment (or more) of their own.