An imaginative and inclusive take on Hanukkah that ought to be lots of fun for readers.
This interactive tale presents the candles on a menorah as small booklets to be pulled out and read, each describing one night of Hanukkah.
Opening up this picture book, readers are presented with nine glued-down sleeves that create a menorah. Each sleeve contains a small rectangular booklet whose cover is illustrated to look like a candle on the menorah; they are labeled “shammash” (the candle used to light the others), night 1, night 2, and so on. Pulling out a “candle,” readers open up the booklet to learn about the holiday through the eyes of Lena, a young girl who lives with her parents and her cat, Pickles. Stories include activities such as lighting the menorah, playing the dreidel game, making latkes, giving gifts, helping those in need, reenacting the triumph of the Maccabees, and visiting the synagogue on the eighth night. The whole presentation is effectively illustrated and well thought out, both as an informative introduction to Hanukkah and a lively, family- and community-oriented tale. Lena and her parents are brown-skinned; other characters are diverse in terms of skin tone and hair color. A child using a wheelchair is depicted, and Lena’s abuelita, who was raised in Cuba, offers a nod to Sephardic Jewish heritage. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An imaginative and inclusive take on Hanukkah that ought to be lots of fun for readers. (Informational picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780063242487
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses.
An elusive new quarry leads the How To Catch… kids on a merry chase through a natural history museum.
Taking at least a step away from the “hunters versus prey” vibe of previous entries in the popular series, the racially diverse group of young visitors dashes through various museum halls in pursuit of the eponymous dino—whose quest to “spread kindness and joy ’round the world” takes the form of a mildly tumultuous museum tour. In most of Elkerton’s overly sweet, color-saturated scenes, only portions of the Loveosaurus, who is purple and covered with pink hearts, are visible behind exhibits or lumbering off the page. But the children find small enticements left behind, from craft supplies to make cards for endangered species to pictures of smiley faces, candy heart–style personal notes (“You Rock!” “Give Hugs”), and, in the hall of medieval arms and armor, a sign urging them to “Be Honest Be Kind.” The somewhat heavy-handed lesson comes through loud and clear. “There’s a message, he wants us to think,” hints Walstead to clue in more obtuse readers…and concluding scenes of smiling people young and otherwise exchanging hugs and knuckle bumps, holding doors for a wheelchair rider, and dancing through clouds of sparkles indicate that they, at least, have gotten it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 9781728268781
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
Essential—the energetic narrative and uplifting illustrations will inspire and empower young readers to get out the vote.
The children of fictional Stanton Elementary School educate themselves and their community about the vote in this picture book.
With its illustrations of simple shapes in bright colors imbuing a sense of positive action and a diverse cast of characters, this picture book rocks—and that’s even before the narrative takes hold. When Stanton’s students learn that their school becomes a polling station every two years, they want to be part of it—but learn they can’t vote until they are 18. Undeterred, they take action. The kids do their research and then engage their community to encourage those of voting age to go to the polls. They go door to door with voter-guide pamphlets, they hold a bake sale (with clever reminders like “Donut forget to vote”), and remind their families to vote. Each child-empowering scenario is paired with an adult’s excuse (“I’ll be away”; “I’m not even registered”; “I can’t walk so far”), and with each comment, the kids have an answer that draws on their research: “You can vote by mail”; “It’s not hard to register”; “A volunteer can drive you!” These kids mean business; it’s their future after all. Children and adults depicted represent a range of skin colors, hair textures, and gender presentations; one girl and her aunt wear hijab. Backmatter includes a quick listing of kid-relevant federal legislation.
Essential—the energetic narrative and uplifting illustrations will inspire and empower young readers to get out the vote. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9280-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
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