A big, bustling portrait of cousin love.
It’s never quiet when family is around!
It’s time for a visit to Grandma June’s house to see…the COUSINS! The protagonist, a tan-skinned child who sports a pink bow, can’t wait to hang out with the rest of the family at their reunion. After all kinds of hugs (“cuddly,” “smooshy,” and “dangly”), the cousins get down to serious play—a sparkly, magic-filled fashion show, followed by an action-packed baseball game that ends with a sudden rain shower. Later, the family enjoys a feast including desserts tasty enough for two cousins to fight over—a conflict that’s speedily resolved. This intergenerational gathering depicts individuals who vary in skin color and expression and who take part in many different interactions, details that invite repeat readings. Afterward, the cousins unveil their secret plan to ask Grandma June if they can have a sleepover so the fun won’t end too soon. Curled up in their sleeping bags, the cousins—and friends—tell secrets late into the night as they make lasting memories together. Lavoie’s boisterous, comic book–style dialogue injects energy and hyperbole into this tale of a close-knit family; young readers will feel part of every over-the-top moment. Leal’s vivacious, digitally created illustrations add layers of humor through a vibrant palette that uses every color of the rainbow on each page and the big, round eyes common in manga to evoke extreme emotions.
A big, bustling portrait of cousin love. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781250828330
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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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