Sweet but underwhelming.
A young boat ventures off while a nurturing lighthouse worries and waits.
Perched in an idyllic harbor, Lighthouse keeps a watchful eye over all the ships that pass by. Along comes a young boat named Brightness, and Lighthouse has all the more reason to glow as she watches out for the newcomer. After a summer of testing nearby waters in the harbor, Brightness disappears, much to Lighthouse’s dismay. Seasons pass, and on a stormy night, Brightness finally returns, and Lighthouse guides the boat back to safety. “Even after I left you to see the whole wide world…you led me back home,” says Brightness. “That’s as it should be,” responds Lighthouse. Mantle’s illustrations are rich with bright nautical tones; characters are lightly anthropomorphized. Some scenes evoke emotion, especially the one depicting the thrashing, stormy waves, set against a vicious-looking night sky. Rich vocabulary (“rusty trawlers and stately sloops, crusty shrimpers”) might intrigue boat enthusiasts. Overall, though, the text is a bit wordy, and the story drags. Readers never find out where Brightness goes all autumn—a missed opportunity to add some drama or complexity to the narrative. Lighthouse serves only to support and calm her community; it’s a one-dimensional portrayal of caregiving, in the vein of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree (1964) and other stories across the kid-lit canon.
Sweet but underwhelming. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9780063114234
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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