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YOUNGER FICTION
Goodner, David

Kondo & Kezumi Visit Giant Island

80 pp. | Little | October, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-368-02577-5 $15.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-368-04605-3 $9.99
(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. Kondo, a large yellow creature, and Kezumi, a small orange creature, live on an island full of "berry bushes and flitter-birds and fluffle-bunnies." One day "something new" appears: a message in a bottle that reads "We are not alone." The anonymous message includes a map, and after overcoming fears, Kondo and Kezumi set off in a bathtub boat--with the map!--to explore the islands around them, taking notes as they sail along. At their first stop, the Dairy Isle (get it?), the pair eats their fill of cheddar logs and Gorgonzola gourds. The next leg of their trip brings them dangerously close to the jagged, flaming Fireskull Island. They make their way to Giant Island, where they meet a new friend--who would rather they didn't leave. The vibrant digital illustrations immerse readers in the various island ecosystems--each rife with otherworldly (or simply cheesy) vegetation and populated by whimsical creatures--and all the rough and windy waterways between them. Voyagers Kezumi and Kondo tackle fears, frustrations, and homesickness humorously and realistically, reflecting the many issues that can test a friendship during travel. Their frank discussion of emotions ("That was scary") and their apologies can be seen as models for young readers' own developing friendships. Kondo and Kezumi remind us that we are not alone, indeed.
Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

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