A heartwarming read.
It’s playtime with papa.
“My papa is a lot of things…” says the young narrator at the start of this short picture book. As the pages turn, the titular papa is proclaimed to be a hair stylist, an astronaut, a master chef, a firefighter, and more. With each assertion, this child’s papa appears in a literal interpretation (wearing a red helmet and behind the wheel of a red race car, helmeted child riding shotgun) and then in what readers will see is the real-life situation (on his belly on the floor next to his child playing with toy cars and earnestly making “vroom” noises). This celebration of everything a father can be is illustrated with warm, rounded figures boasting deep hues that make for a comfy read. The compositions have an immediacy to them that draws readers in, close into the action. Scenarios vary from double-page spreads with imagined scenes on versos and real-life on rectos and pairs of double-page spreads, a rhythm that maintains a nice pace. The spread alluded to in the title presents two tiara-clad playmates, the dad sweetly unself-conscious in a blue ball gown, with child in pink. Both characters present white, dad with glasses and brown hair and beard; his child has hair cut in a blond pageboy and frequently wears a dress. Of course, the best thing about papa is that he is “My papa!”
A heartwarming read. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-93666-970-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A soothing bedtime reminder of a parent’s unconditional love.
Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter Monét’s picture-book debut reassures the very young that their caregivers are always watching over them.
A smiling yellow star watches the equally cheerful moon; both are heavily anthropomorphized, with eyelashes for the moon and pink cheeks for the star. A page turn reveals the star, now downcast and in the corner of a mostly dark spread: “Sometimes the sky is dark and you can’t see the moon at all.” The following spread, depicting a sparkly sky with both characters back in view, reminds children that the moon is there, even when it’s not visible: “Think of me as the moon / It’s always in the sky / Just like I will forever be / a bright light in your life.” Both orbs beam. “I’ll always be your moon / You’ll always be my star / Just keep me in your heart and / I’ll be everywhere you are.” This becomes the refrain after a few more verses that continue the theme of the moon as a metaphor for emotionally present, ever-loving caregivers. Little ones will happily repeat the words as they’re lulled to sleep. The book ends with a heartfelt dedication from the author to her daughter and to parents who balance caregiving duties with careers. Monét notes that she set out to show children that their parents’ devotion endures no matter what—a goal achieved by both text and art.
A soothing bedtime reminder of a parent’s unconditional love. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780593698419
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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