A good-night book that needs a bit more oomph in its ending in order to put it to bed.
A loquacious child's chatter delays bedtime in this picture book from a Belgian publisher but by an American author.
It’s bedtime, but Oliver has a lot to say to his mother during his nighttime routine, starting at the very beginning when he says, “Mommy, you know what?...When I don’t flush the toilet, it smells stinky.” Mommy didn’t need this newsflash—she’s plugging her nose and pointing to the toilet and its stinky contents as she replies “Yes, I know.” This and the ensuing text is conveyed entirely in dialogue between mother and son, who appear to be of different races since Mommy has light skin and reddish-brown hair, while Oliver has darker skin and hair. None of his “You know what?” statements are particularly revelatory, rendering the text a slice-of-life depiction of one child’s bedtime routine. The ending is rushed, as a haggard Mommy looks at readers while hearing a final “Mommy! You know what?” The resolution to this final call comes, not with concluding text, but with a page turn to the endpapers showing Oliver fast asleep. While this provides a visual conclusion, the preceding text in its large type sets readers up for more. Readers will enjoy watching Oliver’s green toy T. Rex, which falls asleep along with him.
A good-night book that needs a bit more oomph in its ending in order to put it to bed. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-60537-278-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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
A visually striking, engaging picture book that sends the message that everyone counts.
A playful counting book also acts as a celebration of family and human diversity.
Shannon’s text is delivered in spare, rhythmic, lilting verse that begins with one and counts up to 10 as it presents different groupings of things and people in individual families, always emphasizing the unitary nature of each combination. “One is six. One line of laundry. One butterfly’s legs. One family.” Gomez’s richly colored pictures clarify and expand on all that the text lists: For “six,” a picture showing six members of a multigenerational family of color includes a line of laundry with six items hanging from it outside of their windows, as well as the painting of a six-legged butterfly that a child in the family is creating. While text never directs the art to depict diverse individuals and family constellations, Gomez does just this in her illustrations. Interracial families are included, as are depictions of men with their arms around each other, and a Sikh man wearing a turban. This inclusive spirit supports the text’s culminating assertion that “One is one and everyone. One earth. One world. One family.”
A visually striking, engaging picture book that sends the message that everyone counts. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-374-30003-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
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