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SHIVI'S BIG LEAP

Name: SHIVI'S BIG LEAP
Author: Kritika H. Rao
ISBN: 9781250325334

by Kritika H. Rao ; illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025

Peppy encouragement for intrepid youngsters who find themselves in over their heads.

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A boy summons strength and courage as he faces a big obstacle.

One Saturday during his South Asian family’s weekly trip to the rec center, young Shivi announces that he wants to try the climbing wall. “Are you sure?” asks Amma. “I’m Hanuman!” Shivi tells his mother, referring to the Hindu monkey god, whose many powers include a special talent for climbing. Plus, Shivi’s been practicing his dangling, springing, and diving on the swings and the jungle gym, so he’s sure he’s ready. Shivi is thrilled when his parents agree—at least until he’s faced with the reality of how high the wall is for a small boy without magical powers. Shivi then admits how frightened he feels. Only after his parents help him with the rope and harness and remind him how similar he is to Hanuman does Shivi regain his bravery. The book’s vibrant palette and energetic illustrations—in which the green-furred Hanuman capers and cavorts—perfectly complement the sweetly relatable story. Shivi’s evolution is both endearing and believable. Although Shivi’s Amma and Abba are ultimately the ones who set him on the right path, his burgeoning belief in himself is a well-earned and heartwarming payoff. (This review has been updated for factual accuracy.)

Peppy encouragement for intrepid youngsters who find themselves in over their heads. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 11, 2025

ISBN: 9781250325334

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)