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LET'S PLAY!

A BOOK ABOUT MAKING FRIENDS

Let’s read this one.

A friendship primer for the primary set.

While this picture book isn’t necessarily set in a post-pandemic world, its overt social-emotional lessons will doubtless prove useful and relevant for many children coming out of varying degrees of social isolation. The writing style verges on the expository with narration that reads like a voice-over in a documentary that records the experiences of a red-haired White girl named Sukie as she enters a new school. Her class has 15 other pupils, some of whom also appear to be White while others seem to be children of color, including one child who wears hijab. Larmour’s art style has shades of Quentin Blake, Bob Graham, Amy Schwartz, and Aliki, with lots of bright colors, expressive linework, and emphasis on character over setting. Themes of sameness and difference, loyalty, and sharing along with a range of emotions are explored in small moments that follow Sukie and her classmates as they form friendships and build community. An author’s note acknowledges that “this book doesn’t show things going wrong between friends, even though sometimes they do. Instead, I wanted to focus on what it can look like when friendship goes right.” Honestly, it looks great, and this affirming, practical, engaging picture book will be a terrific resource for young readers to befriend.

Let’s read this one. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: May 11, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-5362-1765-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021

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AN ABC OF EQUALITY

Adults will do better skipping the book and talking with their children.

Social-equity themes are presented to children in ABC format.

Terms related to intersectional inequality, such as “class,” “gender,” “privilege,” “oppression,” “race,” and “sex,” as well as other topics important to social justice such as “feminism,” “human being,” “immigration,” “justice,” “kindness,” “multicultural,” “transgender,” “understanding,” and “value” are named and explained. There are 26 in all, one for each letter of the alphabet. Colorful two-page spreads with kid-friendly illustrations present each term. First the term is described: “Belief is when you are confident something exists even if you can’t see it. Lots of different beliefs fill the world, and no single belief is right for everyone.” On the facing page it concludes: “B is for BELIEF / Everyone has different beliefs.” It is hard to see who the intended audience for this little board book is. Babies and toddlers are busy learning the names for their body parts, familiar objects around them, and perhaps some basic feelings like happy, hungry, and sad; slightly older preschoolers will probably be bewildered by explanations such as: “A value is an expression of how to live a belief. A value can serve as a guide for how you behave around other human beings. / V is for VALUE / Live your beliefs out loud.”

Adults will do better skipping the book and talking with their children. (Board book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-78603-742-8

Page Count: 52

Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019

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THE BOY WHO SAID WOW

A heartwarming testament to music’s emotional power.

Music moves a nonverbal child to speak.

The narrator explains that Ronan was “born quiet. Some days he hardly says a word.” Today, when Father and Mother suggest outings to the beach or park, he’s quiet. But he looks up when Grandfather bursts in and proposes attending a concert. With refreshing optimism, Grandfather proclaims it “an adventure,” though Ronan’s parents worry about the “challenge” and “risk” of taking him to a performance. And when Ronan, his dog, and Grandfather reach Symphony Hall, an adventure it is. When the music starts, Ronan is swept away in a whirl of notes. Collectively, the instruments sound like “a sky full of stars,” sending him and his cheerful pup into a space-themed reverie. Boss notes that “the darker instruments sound cool and frightening” and the lighter ones sound “warm and friendly” but does not name the instruments, a missed opportunity to deepen readers’ understanding of the music enthralling Ronan. Audience and orchestra members alike are moved to laughter and applause when the music stops, and an awed Ronan utters his first “WOW!” Kheiriyeh’s endearing, pastel-hued cartoon illustrations convey Ronan’s astonishment and joy. Though an author’s note explains that the story is based on an actual nonverbal child’s experience of a Mozart piece in 2019, details such as Mother’s pearls and housedress and Grandfather’s finned car evoke a bucolic 1950s setting. Ronan and his family present white; background characters are racially diverse.

A heartwarming testament to music’s emotional power. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: April 2, 2024

ISBN: 9781534499713

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024

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