A gentle, playful celebration of sibling relationships.
Biological and chosen siblings are celebrated in this Spanish import translated by Brokenbrow.
Siblings from various types of families are presented in this affecting picture book. Day-in-the-life moments like fighting over toys and trying to get homework done are juxtaposed with hints of fantasy. A pair of siblings sits in a whimsical treehouse against a pink-and-purple sunset, followed by a scene of two sisters engaged in spirited dress-up play. The soft shading of Wimmer’s artwork creates a calming effect, though some spreads depict many characters, are full of motion, and use bright colors. The simple prose meditates on the special bond siblings share and also acknowledges sobering truths: “At the end of the day, what matters is how you feel, because we’re all brothers and sisters, even though sometimes we don’t agree,” and “although the years may go by and take us along different paths, I'll always be just an embrace away.” There is no plot, but children will be drawn to the friendly color palette and ever changing action. Lack of names and information about how members of the ensemble cast are biologically or legally related can be seen as wins for non-normative families and families living in community. Characters have varied skin tones; one child uses a wheelchair; and a father figure is shown cooking. Body type, however, lacks diversity, and digital technology is absent, making the book feel both timeless and vintage despite its modern messaging. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gentle, playful celebration of sibling relationships. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-84-18302-46-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cuento de Luz
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
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