A wonderfully effective, reassuring look at an often scary experience.
A child visits the hospital.
“When I went to the hospital, I cried nine times,” notes the brown-skinned narrator, who also appears in The Airport Book (2016). Her tears begin at the pain in her stomach, which causes her parents—one Black, one White—to rush her to the hospital. Other tearful moments include jostling painfully over a speed bump en route to the emergency room, fretting in a hectic waiting room, and feeling doctors press her stomach. And when she’s diagnosed with appendicitis, which requires surgery, she and her parents cry a little. At night, she cries because of funny smells, beeping machines, and loneliness, though a parent snores nearby. But some things aren’t scary—her hospital gown and bracelet and grippy socks, for instance. The narrator’s matter-of-fact tone and step-by-step descriptions of everything from admission to discharge (a cause for happy tears) are calming, and friendly doctors and nurses offer further encouragement in speech-balloon dialogue. Cartoon illustrations gently depict procedures such as an ultrasound and IV insertion and add occasional humor, as when a passing Sherlock Holmes answers “Elementary” to a page for Dr. Watson. Framing the story by counting the number of times the protagonist cries—and doesn’t cry—is an inspired choice that acknowledges fears but also bolsters readers. A bustling medley of racially diverse background characters invites readers to imagine their stories as well. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A wonderfully effective, reassuring look at an often scary experience. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4665-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet notion that falls flat.
A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.
Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622599
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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