A cozy story for the stomach and the soul.
An ode to a beloved comfort food is also a love letter to family ties.
Esme, a dark brown–skinned child with long curly brown hair, and Abuela, who also has dark brown skin, visit the market to buy plátanos. When Abuela reminds Esme that plátanos are love, the young narrator muses, “I thought they were food. But Abuela says they feed us in more ways than one.” Esme receives a brief history lesson during the shopping trip, learning that their ancestors picked plátanos from trees long ago. Esme helps Abuela prepare several mouthwatering plátano dishes and hears more of their family history as they cook. Esme’s ancestors were forbidden from reading, writing, and drawing, so they memorized them and secretly passed the recipes down through generations. The tasty dishes of tostones y patacones, tajadas y maduros, and mangú y fufú are prepared with love and shared with friends and family. Esme writes the recipes down in a notebook titled “Nuestra Familia’s Cookbook” and notes that “Abuela says plátanos are our past. I say plátanos are our present. And with this book, plátanos will always be our future.” Text that incorporates unitalicized Spanish throughout and warm and inviting illustrations convey affection for both food and family and will leave readers hungry for plátanos. Characters throughout the book read as Afro-Latine. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A cozy story for the stomach and the soul. (glossary, recipes) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781665902731
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
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
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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