Not a necessary addition to holiday shelves.
A holiday celebrating a new year should include some new foods, shouldn’t it?
Becca, 5 years old, has straight red hair, pink cheeks, and a determined way of saying “NO!” Her parents are getting ready for the Jewish new year and want Becca to try something new to eat. Papa will have a new look, now sans moustache. Mama will have a new hobby, knitting. Becca should try new foods, perhaps some greens or brisket or chicken soup. Her response is steadfastly negative until, “the biggest green bean ever seen” appears in solitary splendor on her plate. Becca is happy at last, though why this makes a difference when nothing else has goes unexplained. The text centers on Ashkenazic food traditions along with the custom of having or doing something new for the new year. There is no mention, until the brief author’s note, of any religious observances or significance. Families who celebrate the holiday will find little of substance to share. Others will likely come away with no relevant understanding. The cartoon illustrations are colorful and depict an array of traditional foods including apples, but no jar of honey is visible. There is also a marmalade cat who mimics Becca’s facial expressions. The text is in rhythmic quatrains with a second line of repeats that are sometimes awkward to read aloud. “Becca doesn’t eat things green, / never green, ever green. / Not a lettuce leaf or bean. / Especially if they’re new.”
Not a necessary addition to holiday shelves. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72840-339-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out.
From the changing season to decorations and costumes, children anticipate Halloween.
Little readers will enjoy all of the familiar markers of the season included in this book: falling leaves, jack-o’-lanterns, Halloween costumes, candy, and trick-or-treating. Everett’s rhyming couplets bob along safely, offering nothing that will wow but enough to keep the pages turning. It’s Wen’s illustrations that give the most to readers, full of bustling scenes and lovely details. A double-page spread of the children in town in front of the candy store includes jars with individually drawn treats and other festive delicacies. The townwide celebration features instruments, creative costumes, and a diverse crowd of people. There are three children who appear as the focus of the illustrations, though there are many secondary characters. One bespectacled White child is drawn in a manual wheelchair, another has dark brown skin, the third presents Asian. The child in the wheelchair is shown as a full participant. Readers will enjoy spotting spooks like a vampire, goblin, and werewolf, as they sometimes appear in the background and other times blend in with the crowd. The familiar trappings of Halloween paired with the robust illustrations will have little readers wanting to reread even if the content itself is not startlingly new.
High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0586-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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