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THE ONLY ASTRONAUT

Name: THE ONLY ASTRONAUT
Author: Mahak Jain
ISBN: 9781525307362

by Mahak Jain ; illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 6, 2023

Both STEM encouragement and friendship navigation, all while reaching for the stars.

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Being a (pretend) astronaut can be lonely.

Avni loves climbing aboard a cobbled-together spacecraft made of cardboard and various household objects. There is, after all, a whole galaxy (or neighborhood) to explore. But it can be tough being a solo pilot. Avni plans all the missions (first on the agenda? “Make Pluto a planet again”), makes all of the repairs, and puts all of the gear away without any help. Time to get an assistant. Alas, pets are too wiggly, toddlers are too smelly, and adults “are too old for long trips.” Avni find a kindred spirit in Aya, a submarine-obsessed tot. Avni and Aya’s friendship has a rocky launch (space and sea are so very far apart), but they learn to compromise. Showcasing imaginative play and creative engineering, this tale homes in on youngsters’ ambitions and focused passions. The story unfolds through a mixture of full and paneled pages, with washi-taped logbook entries adding a personal touch. Detailed illustrations dotted with humor bring to life the two tots’ creativity at every turn. Avni has long dark braids and brown skin, while Aya has darker brown skin and dark, Afro-textured curls. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Both STEM encouragement and friendship navigation, all while reaching for the stars. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 6, 2023

ISBN: 9781525307362

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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BHARATANATYAM IN BALLET SHOES
by Mahak Jain ; illustrated by Anu Chouhan

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MAYA
by Mahak Jain ; illustrated by Elly MacKay

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THE WORLD NEEDS THE WONDER YOU SEE

by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.

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Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.

There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9781400247417

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORLD NEEDS WHO YOU WERE MADE TO BE
by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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)