by Laura Farina ; illustrated by Elina Ellis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
A tame attempt to rewrite and take control of familiar stories.
A big brother tries to entertain his little sister with fairy tales.
Gabriel imagines himself as the hero of “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Little Pigs,” but as he reads these versions to little sister Mia, he bowdlerizes them to make sure that “nothing bad happens.” He’s afraid of the big bad wolf, despite Mia’s clamoring for more danger in the tales. When she goes off in disgust in search of ice cream, Gabriel realizes that he’s casting himself as the hero in only “very boring” stories. He slowly finds his bravery through storytelling, and, of course, they all live happily ever after. The bold, inventive illustrations carry the tale, with the two brown-skinned, curly-haired children encountering cute piglets, a fiery dragon, and a wolf with teeth “the size of T-rex teeth—if T. rex teeth were the size of mountains.” Despite a strong start and well-executed, poetic prose, the story itself drags a bit, as telling a story about boring stories leads to, well, a somewhat boring story. Despite this there are flashes of humor and kindness that a young audience will enjoy and learn from. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 19% of actual size.)
A tame attempt to rewrite and take control of familiar stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0153-7
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
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by Chasten Buttigieg ; illustrated by Dan Taylor ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 20, 2025
An affirming, though lackluster, look at a loving queer family.
For his debut picture book, teacher and activist Chasten Buttigieg draws inspiration from life with husband Pete Buttigieg, former U.S. transportation secretary.
The big day has finally arrived! Rosie and Jojo have been counting down the days until Papa comes home from his work trip. With a little help from Daddy, they make “welcome home” signs to greet Papa at the airport, pick flowers from the garden, and bake a “seven-layer chocolate cake with purple and yellow frosting.” Much to Daddy’s bemusement, the kids gather all of Papa’s favorite things, including his robe and slippers and their adorable pooch, Butter, as they walk out the door to pick up Papa from his travels. The author offers an affectionate portrait of the everyday domestic life of a same-sex family unit. While many kids and adults will be pleased to see their experiences reflected on the page, both the choppy writing and the flat digital artwork are fairly bland. Characters display similarly excited facial expressions throughout, while the portrayal of the children borders on overly cutesy at times, with intentionally misspelled signs throughout the house (“Papa’s Very Spechull Garden. Please do not tutch”). Like the author’s actual children, Rosie and Jojo are brown-skinned, while Daddy and Papa present white.
An affirming, though lackluster, look at a loving queer family. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780593693988
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022
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
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by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson
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