A celebration of modern-day fatherhood.
Newman and Ford pay tribute to the relationship between fathers and sons.
Dads and sons learn important life lessons while taking part in a variety of activities, from running along the beach and sitting by the campfire strumming a guitar to gardening and riding bikes. Newman showcases moments that help cement that unbreakable bond, as well as those that help young people learn what it means to be an emotionally intelligent person. We see dads and sons participating in activities that knock down gender stereotypes, such as sewing and baking—a longtime hallmark of Newman’s work. The fathers also teach their sons about the importance of empathy (“The day I broke his favorite lamp, / My daddy said, ‘That’s okay, Champ.’ / He didn’t yell or punish me. / He acted kind and lovingly”), being in touch with one’s feelings (“When I fell down and scraped my knee, My daddy took good care of me… / ‘It’s OK, Bud,’ he said, ‘to cry’”), and providing comfort when things get overwhelming. Newman’s singsong-y text gets these points across without ever veering toward didacticism or mushiness, although adults may want to pre-read before storytime due to some awkward wording in places. Rendered in neutral tones, Ford’s watercolor and colored pencil illustrations capture the warmth of parent/child bonds. Characters are diverse in skin tone and ability; one child uses a wheelchair.
A celebration of modern-day fatherhood. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781419740213
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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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