Wholesome, cozy, and nostalgic; pitch perfect.
A lyrical look at the changing of the seasons.
Two siblings scamper through the seasons, showing readers just what is special about each one. Summer begins with a gigantic cannonball from a rope swing over the lake. Slippery ears of corn are shucked and munched as the two “eat outside, smacking mosquitoes between buttery bites.” The children feel the wind from the fan, cooling the night, which slips seamlessly into the chilly wind of fall. Miyares’ palette switches from sunny brightness to fiery reds and warmer yellows. The two pals (who may be fraternal twins or just close in age) jump into piles of leaves and stuff their pockets with pecans. The cool, blue tones of winter bring sledding and nights spent working puzzles, while spring shows a visit to a farm and a new addition of a furry friend. Each season in this rural, temperate place is full of simple, everyday delights. The white frame house stands alone, trees, blueberry bushes, a lake, and other bucolic delights for the children to enjoy without adult supervision all nearby. Norman expertly conjures what seasonal change feels like in the country with delicious sensory details and warm, family togetherness. The family depicted presents white.
Wholesome, cozy, and nostalgic; pitch perfect. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-374-30598-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
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
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
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