PLB 0-688-14629-5 In a companion to Cherry Pies and Lullabies (see review, above) Reiser infuses the often mundane actions of daily life with a sense of tradition and great love in a vibrantly illustrated, bilingual picture book that captures the rhythms of life. Told from the perspective of a young girl, the story opens with her great-grandmother making tortillas for the girl’s grandmother, then moves through each successive generation to the present day, as the child makes tortillas for her doll. Gathering flowers, washing clothes, and singing lullabies are the other commonplace occurrences exalted by the mantras, which always conclude, “Every time it was the same, but different.” Placing the English text at top of every page and the corresponding Spanish text at the bottom creates a unique border for the lush, colorful illustrations, created by a consortium of Costa Rican women known as the “Valiant Hearts.” The bright, richly detailed pictures are almost overwhelming as they draw readers’ eyes into the lives portrayed. Elements within each picture identify the era—one dress is washed in a stream, another in a washing machine—and provide children with something of a searching game for details that demonstrate the passing of time. In both books, simple phrases and gentle repetition convey the enduring nature of love and the reassuring continuity of life. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-688-14628-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1998
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
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