A child’s staunch refusal to eat her peas and her mother’s elaborate enticement is the basis for this zany but telling tale. Readers will instantly recognize the scenario: Daisy sits at the table facing down “the little green balls that were ganging up on her plate” while her frazzled mother attempts to get her to eat. A seemingly harmless proposition of ice cream as a reward begins an avalanche of absurdity as Daisy’s desperate mother soon offers all kinds of outrageous treats. “If you eat your peas, you can have 48 dishes of ice cream, stay up past midnight, you never have to wash again, I’ll buy you two new bikes, and a baby elephant.” However, “I don’t like peas,” remains Daisy’s steadfast reply. The predicament is resolved as Daisy slyly negotiates that she will eat her peas if her mom eats her own untouched Brussels sprouts—at which point they agree to eat some ice cream instead. Sharratt’s (The Time It Took Tom, 2000, etc.) colorful, computer-aided illustrations humorously underscore the hilarity of the situation. Each time Daisy’s mom offers a bribe, a picture of the item appears next to the text; consequently, as she offers more and more bribes, her image shrinks accordingly to accommodate the pictures and text. Conversely, the image of Daisy looms larger as she gains more control. Parents and caregivers may inwardly cringe, but preschoolers will love the increasingly exorbitant bribes Daisy’s mom proffers. While this may not convert any readers into avid pea fans, the underlying message that everyone has individual tastes should help to diffuse dinnertime tensions. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7894-2667-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2000
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
Practical, if somewhat fluffy, bedtime guidance, hampered by muddled prose.
In actor Mendes’ debut picture book, an anxious young sleeper learns to overcome scary nighttime thoughts with help from Mami.
A cry shatters the peaceful night. “MAMI! There’s a monster under my bed!” Mami rushes to Desi’s room, where no monsters await. Instead, worries plague the young girl. Is Desi’s brain the real monster? Mami quells those fears. After all, the brain holds many jobs (“learning new things, solving problems”), but sometimes it brings unwanted thoughts, almost like a bully. With encouragement from her mom, Desi realizes that she’s the boss of her rogue mind. She can try to separate herself from pushy thoughts to feel calm; she can even blow negative thoughts away with the might of positive ones. It just takes a little patience. Brava! Perhaps bedtime isn’t so scary. Mendes tackles the delicate matter of nighttime woes—familiar to children and adults alike—with compassion, framing her tale as a discussion between mother and daughter. The often clunky text disrupts the otherwise serene tone. Still, though the advice is a bit pat, many readers will find it useful. Rich with purples, blues, and pinks among interludes of puffy white clouds, Bryant’s pitch-perfect artwork serves the text well; Desi’s anthropomorphic brain, clad in a nightcap, is an especially fun addition. Desi and Mami read Latine.
Practical, if somewhat fluffy, bedtime guidance, hampered by muddled prose. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9781250867438
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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