An affecting offering that will make a much-appreciated gift for baby showers and new parents.
A sweet expression of parental devotion authored by the former first daughters.
This charming book, written in simple but rich and warm prose, affirms parents’ heartfelt, never-ending love for their children: “I loved you first.” And, they assure their adorable offspring from the age of infancy on, they always will, no matter the time, place, or circumstance. Can a child ever hear anything lovelier? The racially/ethnically diverse mothers and fathers depicted in this beautiful book, its illustrations digitally created with watercolor and pencil brushes and richly enhanced with hand-painted textures, are portrayed in vividly colorful locations filled with lush imagery. Everywhere, parents reiterate their steadfastness and promise always to be there and to do things together. The parents also inform their children of the connections between the parent/child unit and the world of nature. In one flower-bedecked scene, a mom tells her young daughter as they make and wear floral headgear, “From honeysuckle and poppies we’ll make fragrant flower crowns. You will remind me to smell their sweetness.” In a swimming scene, a dad declares, “Jumping into the ocean will take our breath away, like when I held you for the first time. I gasped…because I loved you fiercely, and first.” Fittingly, the book concludes with a mom tucking her child into bed, telling her, “And know that I loved you first, and I will love you forever.”
An affecting offering that will make a much-appreciated gift for baby showers and new parents. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2025
ISBN: 9780316525299
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: today
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
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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