Maggie's Treasure

July 15, 2020
Maggie collects "treasure" until her home is bursting with it, then figures out a creative way to share its joys. People in her neighborhood think Maggie is picking up trash; her neighbor, the city workers, and even the mayor thank her for service. But when her treasure grows beyond a box to fill a drawer and then the cupboards and even the yard, people in the neighborhood begin to talk. But only when her parents have had enough and Maggie herself sees that it's too much does she start thinking what she can do about it. She works at her idea for days and finally invites people to come take "free riches." From her bits and pieces, she has created beautiful things, like jewelry and painted rocks, as well as useful things, like telescopes and music makers. Her neighbors come and take her creations home; they learn the value of "treasure," and Maggie learns that she doesn't need it all. Bright colors, lanky, stylized bodies in dramatic gestures, and pages busy with collections of objects combine to form an engaging set of pictures for young readers to pore over. While the premise of the story may give some adults pause, the gentle message, dynamic illustrations, and endearing protagonist make this title a winner. Maggie is brown-skinned like her father; her mother appears to be White. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 67.5% of actual size.) A wise and satisfying read. (Picture book. 4-9)

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July 1, 2020
Preschool-G Maggie, a brown-skinned girl, collects buttons, bottlecaps, and other discarded treasures. Adults praise her for picking up trash, but Maggie sees things differently, and her family's urban neighborhood provides plenty of opportunities for adding to her collection. When Maggie accumulates so much that it takes over her yard, neighbors start complaining, and she humorously considers what people do with treasure. Hide it in caves guarded by dragons? Bury it in a chest? Dissatisfied with those options, she is inspired to find a less selfish and more practical solution. Working for days, Maggie transforms her treasures into wind chimes, telescopes, bird feeders, magic wands, and more, offering free riches for those who seek them. Digital illustrations further the idea of using multiple objects to create art, as small pieces with the appearance of paper collage, stamps, or linocuts are combined to create the larger images. Maggie demonstrates the hidden potential of things others do not value and inspires her community members to recognize treasure themselves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-Maggie, a lanky brown girl, has her eyes open for treasures wherever she is. Little things like buttons, stones, and bottle caps, and later on, larger items fill her bedroom and home. The community loves that she is tidying up the neighborhood until Maggie's treasures began spilling out into the yard and creating an eyesore. Now her parents want all of her treasures gone. Out of the corner of her eye, Maggie sees a bird grab a red ribbon from the treasures in the yard and fly it back to the nest it is building. Maggie repurposes all her treasures and when the neighbors come to see what she is giving away, they are thrilled. The energetic, brightly colored, stylized art gives a kinetic and appealing look to what otherwise is junk. There is movement in the art throughout. All of that comes together to create a beautiful book. VERDICT Libraries will love having this visual tale of the old adage of "one man's junk is another man's treasure."-Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 5, 2020
Maggie, a brown-skinned girl in roomy overalls, sees “the sparkle in everything,” finding treasures—“a dropped button, a bottle cap, a bright red feather”—in others’ trash. Mistaking her gathering as an effort at litter collection, the community initially cheers the girl’s deeds; the mayor even rewards her with a ribbon. But when her assemblage overwhelms her family’s house and her work leaves the sanitation department with nothing to do, Maggie must find a way to redistribute her trove. Inspired by nature, she does so in style, helping her community to see the beauty in banality transformed. In the creative team’s second collaboration (Tokyo Digs a Garden), Lappano balances a sound environmental message with an alliterative, lyrical text and humorous touches—a gag in which three underemployed sanitation workers resort to grooming squirrels becomes all the funnier when the squirrels rebel. In blocky shapes of bold, flat color, Hatanaka’s stylized digital illustrations portray characters with impossibly long limbs and necks who gesture exaggeratedly. An engaging appeal to reduce and reuse with a decidedly DIY aesthetic. Ages 3–7.