This gentle look at differences and acceptance might amuse some listeners, but it’s unlikely to inspire lasting interest.
Rabbit sisters with differing interests find a way to enjoy playing together.
Dollop and Lili are wide-eyed, long-eared, anthropomorphic bunnies. Dollop, the younger sister, is “b-o-r-e-d” but perks up when she hears her sister talking in the next room. She dons a ninja costume, creeps across the room (hiding amusingly but not very effectively behind a number of small items), and discovers that Lili is planning a tea party. Initially pleased to be included, Dollop ducks out when she’s admonished for burping and bored by Lili’s idea of “polite conversation.” Lili, aka Mrs. Fabulous, perseveres but finds it’s not much fun to play tea party alone. Her turnabout is not entirely convincing, but it effectively unites the two sisters again. Sattler’s text is a mix of straightforward description of action and emotions, dialogue, and humorously earnest instruction from Lili. She offers variety in her characteristically child-friendly cartoon-style illustrations as well, moving from double-page spreads to single pages and vignettes as the action unfolds. Created in watercolor, pencil, colored pencil, and Photoshop, the bright and cheery pictures keep the focus on the two sisters, their toys, and their clothes. There’s plenty of white space, and most backgrounds are only lightly sketched. Unfortunately, neither text nor pictures make up for the slight and predictable plot.
This gentle look at differences and acceptance might amuse some listeners, but it’s unlikely to inspire lasting interest. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-399-55335-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
