A cheery if superficial treatment of a common theme.
Children are immensely proud of parents who work serving the public in many important ways.
A group of young children describe their parents’ jobs, stressing how they are crucial to a well-functioning community. There are police officers, teachers, foreign-aid volunteers, lifeguards, letter carriers, firefighters, school bus drivers, and more. Each parent worker is introduced in a brief rhyme on a double-page spread accompanied by an illustration depicting that parent in action. The text, in an abcb rhyme scheme, is descriptive, accessible, and pertinent. Tikkou’s bright illustrations are neatly integrated with the text, providing additional details about the jobs and the workers. The children, a multiracial group, are first seen on the title page with their backpacks on their way to school and then in the classroom for the introductory rhyme. The delivery is bright and uncomplicated. The police-officer parent “helps to keep the peace,” a loaded comment that may well fall flat with children whose community interactions with the police are far from peaceful. A companion work, Keeping Us Healthy, follows the same format, focusing on ambulance drivers, X-ray technicians, dentists, veterinarians, and other healers. The diversity is even more striking, with a “daddy” nurse and “mommy” doctor (both people of color) and a white pharmacist who uses a wheelchair. Parents and young readers will find much to discuss.
A cheery if superficial treatment of a common theme. (Informational picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68464-057-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
Colorful, upbeat, and just for Swifties.
What is being a Swiftie all about? Finding joy in the things you love!
For Taylor Swift and her fans, love comes from baking tasty desserts, snuggling with pets, enjoying fireworks with friends, and attending concerts. Vibrant illustrations that evoke bright pop music are scattered with references to Taylor’s life, such as a red sports jersey (a nod to her high-profile relationship with a certain Kansas City Chiefs tight end) or a stack of friendship bracelets (which devotees know are commonly made by hand and traded at Swift’s concerts). Without this prior knowledge of Swift lore, this peppy picture book may feel like a somewhat superficial, though positive, list of ways to find happiness; some readers may wish the author had included messages about acceptance and self-love, commonly found in Swift’s lyrics. Still, the intended audience will welcome it as a joyful love letter to her fans. Pops of color splash across scenes of Taylor and a racially diverse set of friends doing their favorite things atop a stark white background. The star’s recognizable fashion style and facial features are spot-on, while most other featured characters feel more generic.
Colorful, upbeat, and just for Swifties. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781665973519
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
Adults will do better skipping the book and talking with their children.
Social-equity themes are presented to children in ABC format.
Terms related to intersectional inequality, such as “class,” “gender,” “privilege,” “oppression,” “race,” and “sex,” as well as other topics important to social justice such as “feminism,” “human being,” “immigration,” “justice,” “kindness,” “multicultural,” “transgender,” “understanding,” and “value” are named and explained. There are 26 in all, one for each letter of the alphabet. Colorful two-page spreads with kid-friendly illustrations present each term. First the term is described: “Belief is when you are confident something exists even if you can’t see it. Lots of different beliefs fill the world, and no single belief is right for everyone.” On the facing page it concludes: “B is for BELIEF / Everyone has different beliefs.” It is hard to see who the intended audience for this little board book is. Babies and toddlers are busy learning the names for their body parts, familiar objects around them, and perhaps some basic feelings like happy, hungry, and sad; slightly older preschoolers will probably be bewildered by explanations such as: “A value is an expression of how to live a belief. A value can serve as a guide for how you behave around other human beings. / V is for VALUE / Live your beliefs out loud.”
Adults will do better skipping the book and talking with their children. (Board book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-78603-742-8
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
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