Ping

by Ani Castillo

Overview

With the visual ingenuity of Press Here and the emotional resonance of What Do You Do with a Problem?, this wise and timely book about the fragile art of personal connection will strike a chord with children and adults alike.

In the era of social media, communication feels both more anxiety-producing, and more inescapable, than ever before. This clever, comforting picture book debut explores the challenges and joys of self-expression and social connection.

Using an imaginative visual metaphor to bring to life how we send out (ping!) and receive (pong!) communications, Ani Castillo's words and pictures will empower and inspire anyone who has experienced the fear of sharing themselves with the world.

With an artful, accessible package, an eloquent message, and a lot of heart, here is a new classic to bring courage and comfort to humans of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316424646
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	1,161,079
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ani Castillo is a cartoonist, illustrator, and teacher who was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and now lives in Canada. She is on Instagram at www.instagram.com/anicastillo.

Editorial Reviews

…[a] wise debut…So many books these days offer kids social-emotional counsel; this one delivers down-to-earth ideas in a refreshingly direct yet fanciful package.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

2019-05-12
Castillo's debut employs a playful metaphor to explore socioemotional skills, addressing readers directly with tender, encouraging language.

Minimalist, lightly textured ink-and-watercolor illustrations depict adorably blobby humanoid figures wearing hooded bodysuits in a range of colors. The primary figure, a short blob, has round red cheeks and wears what looks like a red, hooded snowsuit. Each figure has round black eyes and a red dot of a nose on a white face while ink linework carefully denotes the figures' expressions so that even the youngest readers may decipher them. The accompanying text uses "ping" to explain and promote each figure's ownership of their feelings and actions, while "pong" clearly and simply demonstrates that one cannot control others—one can only control one's response to others. "Time to listen! The pong is giving you something // Is it something to learn? / Something to think about? / … / Something to challenge you? / Something to keep?" While most spreads have plain white (usually) or black backgrounds, one spread depicting "taking a pause" after receiving a "pong" utilizes a richly illustrated page of lush green leaves to illustrate how the pause can be "as long as you need." Overall, the book's design and deliberate pacing support its message; however, much of the text is printed in an unnecessarily large font that competes with, rather than complementing, the illustrations. This is most problematic in several visually busy spreads that include text in multiple point sizes, "pinging" unevenly from one spot illustration to the next.

A sweetly articulated and socially valuable message for readers of many ages. (Picturebook. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

With a bright, youthful timbre and deliberate pacing, narrator Caitlin Kelly helps listeners understand the idea of “ping.” Whatever one puts out into the world is a “ping”—like a smile, a song, or a gesture. But, as in a game of table tennis, no one can control the “pong” that comes back. Kelly emphasizes the word “ping,” and her voice gives emotion to the myriad ways to express it—“bravely,” “wisely,” “joyfully.” Her thoughtful, inquisitive tone entreats listeners to carefully consider both the “pings” they give and how they accept the “pongs” they get back. Cheerful electronic music provides an upbeat background for the empowering message about self-expression and acceptance. S.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2020 - AudioFile

With a bright, youthful timbre and deliberate pacing, narrator Caitlin Kelly helps listeners understand the idea of “ping.” Whatever one puts out into the world is a “ping”—like a smile, a song, or a gesture. But, as in a game of table tennis, no one can control the “pong” that comes back. Kelly emphasizes the word “ping,” and her voice gives emotion to the myriad ways to express it—“bravely,” “wisely,” “joyfully.” Her thoughtful, inquisitive tone entreats listeners to carefully consider both the “pings” they give and how they accept the “pongs” they get back. Cheerful electronic music provides an upbeat background for the empowering message about self-expression and acceptance. S.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2020 - AudioFile