A sweet tale worth slowing down to read.
A Black child rushes through the city to meet his grandmother.
Meet A-Train Allen, who takes his time getting to school in the morning but is known for speeding back home (it’s said that he can traverse the city faster than the subway—hence his nickname). A-Train Allen flies through the park, past the big kids playing basketball and the older men playing chess. As fast as he may be, he’s careful when he crosses the street. Barreling down the pavement, he responds to passersby with, “Got somewhere to be, got somewhere to be!” Depicting a busy, diverse city reminiscent of New York, Ollivierre’s illustrations are all brightness and movement as the boy weaves through crowded streets. A-Train Allen doesn’t slow until he reaches the elevated train station, where the tracks are vibrating with the arrival of a train. Soon after, his grandmother emerges with a kiss and buckets of praise for her grandson, who seems to beat her to the subway stop daily. Now that he’s reunited with his grandmother, A-Train can enjoy a safe and supervised walk home. Younge’s bouncy text makes dynamic use of color, font, and vocabulary (A-Train Allen “bolt[s],” “dash[es], and “skid[s]” on his way home) for a tale of vitality and verve that will resonate with fans of The Quickest Kid in Clarksville (2016) by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Frank Morrison. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet tale worth slowing down to read. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781534111837
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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