A lovely experience of wonder and empathy.
Faith rides the New York City subway with Mama, finding ways to connect with others along the way.
On the train ride home from Grandma’s house, Faith pulls out a peanut butter sandwich (“gooey with honey from Grandma’s beehive”) and enjoys a sweet bite. Then a man named Isaiah who’s fallen on hard times asks if anyone can spare some change. Faith recognizes him. Everyone looks away from him, silent. Faith catches his eye, peanut butter still sticking to the child’s teeth. Heart thumping, Faith offers him the last of the sandwich. He enjoys it tremendously. As they leave the train, Faith wonders what kind of peanut butter Isaiah likes. The youngster imagines having piles of sandwiches with Isaiah and his son; Faith comes up with an idea for the next ride. This delectable story does a lovely job of presenting a child’s view of the sights and sounds of the subway. The moments surrounding Isaiah’s plea for help—busy riders looking away or distracted—ring true and encourage reflection. Mokshini’s energetic artwork makes impressive use of color and shadow, perspective, varied composition, and lines to immerse readers in the world of the train’s interior and the stations; readers will feel delivered from underground when Faith and Mama finally emerge on the street. Faith, Mama, and Isaiah present Black; other characters are diverse.
A lovely experience of wonder and empathy. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9780063251342
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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