An encouraging story for those who struggle to be heard.
A timid boy learns to summon his own internal strength.
School is filled with the raucous sounds of kids laughing, shouting, and playing. Quiet, bespectacled Xavier is swallowed up by all that noise. Whenever he tries to speak, his voice gets stuck in his throat. Even when other children make a friendly effort, “his small voice [can’t] find its way out.” Inspired by a new comic hero named Super Saleem, Xavier starts drawing his own superhero world. He fills a sketchbook with characters who have the qualities he wishes he could possess. When a sudden rainstorm drenches his drawings, another student helps Xavier dry them off. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship? Afterward, overwhelmed with anxiety and what ifs, Xavier starts to worry. But he feels bolstered by a superhero strength deep inside. Though Xavier’s outward attempts at trying to be loud fail miserably, he eventually finds a way to shine—by relying on his huge imagination. Peppered with calming techniques, this narrative will speak to many young people grappling with anxiety as Franklin creates a safe environment for introspection and growth. Gentle cartoon art brings the action to life; Xavier’s fantasies of flying alongside superhero characters add child appeal. Xavier and his family present Black and are cued Muslim; his school is diverse.
An encouraging story for those who struggle to be heard. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781959244035
Page Count: 48
Publisher: The Innovation Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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