A lovely encapsulation of the best parts of winter.
The woodland creatures of Acorn Village enjoy snowy-day activities.
Donning comfy clothes and snuggling into nooks, the villagers burrow in for a snow-filled, cold day. They stack firewood, cook stew, bake bread, and knit by the fire. When the snowflakes finally stop falling, everyone tromps outside to play and go ice-skating. As the sun sets, the neighbors come together for a winter feast before heading home to their own warm beds. The book opens with a visual introduction to the heavily anthropomorphized villagers; Wheeler has depicted a variety of family units. The Hopps family of bunnies includes Dad and Pop as patriarchs and little bunnies who vary in terms of fur colors, features, and abilities, while the Chipleys are a single-parent household. The author/illustrator has considered every aspect of a cozy winter day, and Acorn Village is alive with detail. Readers from colder climates will recognize all the best parts of a snow day, while those from warmer climes will feel immersed in all things winter. Some of the illustrations are accompanied by text explaining what the characters are doing; these additions at times feel unnecessary, though they don’t distract from the story. The gentle text matches the mood of the illustrations. Visual references to Christmas appear throughout, but the holiday isn’t mentioned by name in the text.
A lovely encapsulation of the best parts of winter. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780593617205
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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
Practical, if somewhat fluffy, bedtime guidance, hampered by muddled prose.
In actor Mendes’ debut picture book, an anxious young sleeper learns to overcome scary nighttime thoughts with help from Mami.
A cry shatters the peaceful night. “MAMI! There’s a monster under my bed!” Mami rushes to Desi’s room, where no monsters await. Instead, worries plague the young girl. Is Desi’s brain the real monster? Mami quells those fears. After all, the brain holds many jobs (“learning new things, solving problems”), but sometimes it brings unwanted thoughts, almost like a bully. With encouragement from her mom, Desi realizes that she’s the boss of her rogue mind. She can try to separate herself from pushy thoughts to feel calm; she can even blow negative thoughts away with the might of positive ones. It just takes a little patience. Brava! Perhaps bedtime isn’t so scary. Mendes tackles the delicate matter of nighttime woes—familiar to children and adults alike—with compassion, framing her tale as a discussion between mother and daughter. The often clunky text disrupts the otherwise serene tone. Still, though the advice is a bit pat, many readers will find it useful. Rich with purples, blues, and pinks among interludes of puffy white clouds, Bryant’s pitch-perfect artwork serves the text well; Desi’s anthropomorphic brain, clad in a nightcap, is an especially fun addition. Desi and Mami read Latine.
Practical, if somewhat fluffy, bedtime guidance, hampered by muddled prose. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9781250867438
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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