Order Here | Written by David Goodner | Little, Brown & Company Books for Young Readers | Downloadable worksheets here
Junior Library Guild selection
Starred PW Review
“Kondo is big. Kezumi is little. They lived on an island with fruit trees and berry bushes and flitter-birds and fluffle-bunnies.
When a surprise bottle washes ashore, they discover a map with a mysterious message: WE ARE NOT ALONE. Kezumi wants to follow the map and explore the world. Kondo wants to stay home and pick fruit from the fruit tree and berries from the berry bushes. But once Kezumi builds the perfect boat, the best friends set sail together to see . . . well, they don’t know!
So begin the adventures of Kondo and Kezumi, where islands of cheese and giant mountains await. Rising stars David Goodner and Andrea Tsurumi team up for this three-book illustrated chapter-book series filled with charming quirks and unexpected discoveries. Get ready to set foot on uncharted territory with classic themes of friendship, community, and exploration.”
“Goodner’s got the goods on the tone and the age level, and Tsurumi’s art never flags. You are with these two intrepid explorers, every step of the way. And believe me when I say that you do NOT want to be on the receiving end of a Kezumi stink-eye. No way. A wonderful bridge of a book for kids that need that comic sensibility but can handle some complex words.” - Betsy Bird School Library Journal
“Goodner and Tsurumi’s brightly illustrated chapter book should find favor with fans of Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen’s similarly designed Mercy Watson series. Short, wry, descriptive sentences make for an equally enjoyable experience whether read aloud or independently. Episodic chapters move the action along jauntily . . . A story of friendship that is both lively and lovely.”- Kirkus Reviews
⭐“After she finds an intriguing map in a bottle, adventurous Kezumi—a small orange island dweller—persuades her much warier and larger companion, yellow Kondo, to build a boat and explore. … In prose that’s both simple and dynamic, Goodner offers a realistic sequence about boat building: “They had to make it float. Then they had to make it sail. Then they had to make it turn.” Food-gathering and other foraging scenes add fascinating survival elements, and smooth, polished artwork by Tsurumi features monster-esque characters with expressive faces as well as luxuriant flora and fauna. The personal relationships, various environments, and building projects provide multiple points of engagement to keep new readers motivated. Ages 6–8.”-Starred PW
“…K&K is an inviting and adventurous saga that kids are going to enjoy … Andrea Tsurumi’s illustrations are a delight. I’m used to seeing her work in the excellent picture books Accident! and Crab Cake, and it translates well into the picture book format. Sometimes lush and sunny, other times fantastical, Tsurumi’s playful imagination shows on every page. A thoroughly modern early chapter book with timeless themes of friendship and self-determination, readers should take to this new series quickly and fully.” - Travis Jonker, School Library Journal
“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 apologies can be seen as models for young readers’ own developing friendships. Kondo and Kezumi remind us that we are not alone, indeed.” - The Horn Book
“This is the first title in a new chapter book series. I’m happy it exists and can’t wait to see the second book. It is especially intriguing to see the ways in which Tsurumi extends the text in this book, given passages like: “Kondo was big. Kezumi was little. They lived on an island with fruit trees and berry bushes and flitter-birds and fluffle-bunnies. …” Clearly, Goodner intended to give the illustrator a ton of space to let their imagination run wild, and Tsurumi does so — with entertaining results … But even better than the adventure and Tsurumi’s richly imagined depiction of this world is the friendship between Kondo and Kezumi, the heart of the tale. The gentle ways Kezumi encourages Kondo to work past fears and the way their bond gets them through the ups and down of their adventure — it’s all touching, but never cloying.”- Julie Danielson Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast