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KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

Name: KEEP YOUR HEAD UP
Author: Aliya King Neil
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8040-7

by Aliya King Neil ; illustrated by Charly Palmer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 28, 2021

An excellent book for teaching children the importance of showing themselves grace and kindness.

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D wakes up late, no one greets him, and his sister has used his favorite toothpaste to make slime. Will D’s day get any better?

D, a young Black boy, tries to make the best of a bad day. Despite the less-than-stellar start to his morning, he manages to keep his head up and try to turn it around. However, once at school, he learns that he’s missing his gym uniform and won’t be able to participate. As hard as he tries to fight it, his “bad day face slips out.” As the day progresses, D’s “bad day face” becomes his “scrunchy face,” and eventually he has a full-on “meltdown”—which lands him in the principal’s office. There, D talks with Miss King, who likens him to a fragile vinyl LP, an analogy that is both fitting and affirming. D’s parents come to pick him up from school, which doesn’t help his mood, but he makes the decision to keep his head up anyway. D’s mental state is represented in Palmer’s painterly illustrations by a cloud that floats above his head. As the day wears on, the cloud grows bigger and darker, the meltdown page rendered as nothing but vigorous black brush strokes. Readers will recognize their own feelings of anger, disappointment, and loss of control through Neil’s empathetic text, laden with sensory metaphors. D’s school is majority Black, and his teachers and Miss King are Black as well. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An excellent book for teaching children the importance of showing themselves grace and kindness. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-5344-8040-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.

Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)