The Book that Kibo Wrote

May 1, 2022
Grades K-3 Each evening, rhino Kibo writes about living on the savanna--of "the silhouettes of the birds, the buzz of the bugs." Eventually, there's enough for a book, which crane Naki reads and creates a cover for before flying it to the city and leaving it in a random place. Lion Camilo finds it, and the descriptions of "the acacias that shook and sang in the wind" remind him of his childhood home. He brings the book to rabbit Simon; and from there, it makes its way to others and eventually to Nanuk, a bear at the North Pole, who becomes filled with warm savanna dreams after reading it. Vibrant, blocky illustrations depict the expressive, anthropomorphized animals and various settings with whimsical details in playful layouts. Throughout, the lyrical narrative highlights different elements of Kibo's words and how they variously affect each reader, from evoking nostalgia to inspiring imagination and introducing new perspectives. While it ends somewhat abruptly, this overall delightful story, translated from the original Spanish, celebrates discovering joy in books--and sharing the experience with others.

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May 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-Digital illustrations in a bold palette follow the creation and subsequent journey of a story written by a rhino named Kibo who captures the rich sensory details of his home on the savanna. Kibo's yellow book travels from reader to reader and goes from settings rural to urban to the Arctic sharing not only the power of reading but also the delights of sharing a book with others. The final spread features a polar bear basking in the warm sun of the savanna as icebergs, whales, and falling snow surround him. For a classroom lesson about the power of reading and a good book to transport readers no matter where they are, this title will have children considering their own stories and settings. VERDICT The trifecta of reading, writing, and sharing at the heart of this visually engaging title becomes transformative. Highly recommended.-John Scott

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2022
A typical day on the savanna inspires Kibo, a rhinoceros, to write a book. "He wrote about the red sky of the savanna, the silhouettes of the birds, the buzz of the bugs." Naki the crane reads over Kibo's shoulder and is so moved that she sews up his pages between yellow covers and then flies the bound copy over the sea and drops it in a faraway city. The book then travels from a lion to a rabbit to a hen, ultimately winding up with Nanuk, a North Pole polar bear. Johnson's folk-art style, in warm shades of blue, yellow, and orange, gives the illustrations a retro vibe that suits the DIY ethos of Kibo's creation and the way it moves through the world. The flora and fauna that surround Kibo when he's writing recur whenever his story finds a new reader, giving a visual sense of how books allow thoughts and ideas to travel from one mind to another. Satisfying in itself, this book will also find a happy home in classrooms and serve as a springboard for young bookmakers' creative endeavors. Adrienne L. Pettinelli

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
A typical day on the savanna inspires Kibo, a rhinoceros, to write a book. "He wrote about the red sky of the savanna, the silhouettes of the birds, the buzz of the bugs." Naki the crane reads over Kibo's shoulder and is so moved that she sews up his pages between yellow covers and then flies the bound copy over the sea and drops it in a faraway city. The book then travels from a lion to a rabbit to a hen, ultimately winding up with Nanuk, a North Pole polar bear. Johnson's folk-art style, in warm shades of blue, yellow, and orange, gives the illustrations a retro vibe that suits the DIY ethos of Kibo's creation and the way it moves through the world. The flora and fauna that surround Kibo when he's writing recur whenever his story finds a new reader, giving a visual sense of how books allow thoughts and ideas to travel from one mind to another. Satisfying in itself, this book will also find a happy home in classrooms and serve as a springboard for young bookmakers' creative endeavors.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)