Encouraging activity on multiple levels, a good choice for toddler board-book collections.
This interactive board book showcases several kinds of dance.
Two finger holes cut through this chunky board book allow children’s fingers to form dancers’ arms or legs. Rhyming text describes the dancers’ movements. For example, the ballerina says: “I can point with my toes. / I can do a plié. // I can twirl in my tutu. / I can dance a ballet!” In addition to the ballet dancer, readers can pretend to be disco dancers, gymnasts, break dancers, synchronized swimmers, and tap dancers. The colorful, uncluttered, intentionally childlike mixed-media illustrations feature child characters of varied ethnic backgrounds who all appear together on the stage in a final gatefold spread that has room for six fingers. The rhythm is sometimes stilted, but overall, this is an appropriately brief, appealing title with a simple bit of interactivity that toddlers will appreciate. Similarly, the simultaneously published I Can Play offers little ones the chance to turn their fingers into the arms or legs of sports players, including soccer players, basketball players, runners, and snowboarders. For a bit of added fun, both covers include an element of texture, a pink tutu on the dance title and a rough bit of Astroturf for the sports title.
Encouraging activity on multiple levels, a good choice for toddler board-book collections. (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2929-7
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
A fresh, melodic take on family harmony.
Rock legends, husband-and-wife team, and proud grandparents Benatar and Giraldo present an upbeat ode to families.
A youngster with long blond hair confides conspiratorially, “This might come as a bit of a shock, // but my grandma and grandpa…ROCK!” The silver-haired duo—who resemble the co-authors—jam out in a practice space; Grandpa strums an electric guitar, while Grandma belts out a tune, microphone in hand. (All three are pale-skinned.) Jagged star strokes burst from the amps, reverberating across the page. As the young narrator sings the praises of these hip, artistically minded grandparents, the illustrations depict many varied, diverse families making music. One grandparent strums a ukulele, another prefers the drums, and an especially eclectic granny croons everything from lullabies to Led Zeppelin while cooking. There’s no wrong way to share joy with grandparents. Benatar and Giraldo acknowledge that you don’t have to be a musician to rock (“Anyone can rock! / It’s a state of mind, / like feeling happy or being kind”) as they speak to other passions and occupations (“They can be a plumber, a chef, a pilot, a teacher”). One spread showcases other names for grandparents, both colloquial and cultural, presented without disrupting the text’s rhythm. As expected, this pair lays down a steady beat with a smooth flow. Everett’s energetic art, with musical swooshes and swirls, buoys the text.
A fresh, melodic take on family harmony. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9781728298023
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
Brava!
From award winner Telgemeier (Smile, 2010), a pitch-perfect graphic novel portrayal of a middle school musical, adroitly capturing the drama both on and offstage.
Seventh-grader Callie Marin is over-the-moon to be on stage crew again this year for Eucalyptus Middle School’s production of Moon over Mississippi. Callie's just getting over popular baseball jock and eighth-grader Greg, who crushed her when he left Callie to return to his girlfriend, Bonnie, the stuck-up star of the play. Callie's healing heart is quickly captured by Justin and Jesse Mendocino, the two very cute twins who are working on the play with her. Equally determined to make the best sets possible with a shoestring budget and to get one of the Mendocino boys to notice her, the immensely likable Callie will find this to be an extremely drama-filled experience indeed. The palpably engaging and whip-smart characterization ensures that the charisma and camaraderie run high among those working on the production. When Greg snubs Callie in the halls and misses her reference to Guys and Dolls, one of her friends assuredly tells her, "Don't worry, Cal. We’re the cool kids….He's the dork." With the clear, stylish art, the strongly appealing characters and just the right pinch of drama, this book will undoubtedly make readers stand up and cheer.
Brava! (Graphic fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-32698-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
SEEN & HEARD
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