A charmingly simple way to help children see how they fit into the world around them.
Exuberant Josephine catalogs her place in the world, painting each example on an easel.
Human, mammal, animal, living thing—Josephine has a variety of identities, but she’s also unique. The pattern of this simple classification exercise is regular. Josephine labels herself as part of a group, adds other organisms that fit into the category, and then asks readers to count the similar organisms shown on a spread. The special appeal lies in the illustrative details. The creatures are simply shaped but clearly identifiable. Lookers and listeners will enjoy brown-skinned Josephine’s many moods and her activities, from cartwheeling to struggling to brush her curly hair to snorkeling, skating, and leading a parade. Josephine paints from jars of rose, blue-greens, and grey-browns; her illustrator adds smoky yellows and orange to give the whole design a cheery, greeting-card feel. A cityscape shows a wide variety of people engaged in interesting activities. Later pages lend themselves to identification games. Humans from all over the world are shown (but not labeled) in typical activities. Animals range from jellyfish to whales, and living things include vignettes of animals and plants together. Adults may puzzle over the appearance of a worm on a page of mammals; perhaps it makes the mole’s tunnel easier to understand.
A charmingly simple way to help children see how they fit into the world around them. (Informational picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-77147-156-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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
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