A sweet, uplifting take on facial difference, friendship, and self-acceptance.
A child feels self-conscious about the birthmark on her forehead.
Mom says the birthmark is an angel’s kiss, and cousin Charlie says it’s a superpower. Still, the unnamed protagonist wonders how she’d look without the mark, which she’s named Toto. And when strangers ask about Toto, the narrator’s face reddens, and she “cannot say a word.” Pink-hued Toto and the narrator’s crimson cheeks stand out against the sepia-toned backdrops, emphasizing the narrator’s feeling that “sometimes people only see Toto, not me.” So when Mom proposes concealing Toto under the child’s bangs before school starts, she agrees. At school, she quickly befriends a girl named Niko. But when the narrator hangs upside down from the monkey bars, Toto is revealed. To the protagonist’s astonishment, Niko thinks she’s “just extraordinary”—“The birthmark on your face means that you have another life!” Later, the narrator muses that without Toto, “I might not look like ME at all. And I might not feel extraordinary.” Using short sentences and appealing kid logic, Yum, who based the story on a friend’s daughter’s experience and her own childhood memories of fielding questions about a birthmark on her leg, introduces young readers to the idea of facial difference. The narrator’s and Niko’s doll-like faces are endearing, conveying joy, embarrassment, and surprise through simple lines. The protagonist and her family have skin the white of the page and present East Asian; Niko has darker skin.
A sweet, uplifting take on facial difference, friendship, and self-acceptance. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9780823453894
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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