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SOMETHING HAPPENED TO OUR PLANET

Name: SOMETHING HAPPENED TO OUR PLANET
Author: Marianne Celano
ISBN: 978-1-4338-4072-2

KIDS TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISIS

by Marianne Celano & Marietta Collins ; illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023

Attempting to counter mental stress, this tale instead offers dubious comfort.

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Friends bravely address climate change concerns.

Intended to assuage children’s worries about the climate crisis, this story begins with familiar information: on trees, rising ocean temperatures, reuse versus recycling. After planting a few trees, the narrator, who presents Black, and their diverse friends search their school for reuse opportunities. They land on lunch trays, advocating a switch from disposable to reusable trays—eventually convincing the PTA to fund their idea. Anxiety is presumably alleviated by action. But are these trays metal? Were the old ones paper? What about water, energy, and detergent to wash the new ones? Unaddressed. Readers are twice misleadingly assured that “If we do our part, nature heals itself.” Backmatter, in a small font, admits that “climate-fueled disasters” are a current crisis, contradicting the narrator’s mom’s false assurance that “these [climate] changes won’t hurt us now.” The author acknowledges in a note that systemic action (government, industry) is necessary, but it is never mentioned in the story. Voting is not a recommended action step in the backmatter. Earth-toned illustrations are appealing—though in one scene, the kids appear to snorkel submerged. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Attempting to counter mental stress, this tale instead offers dubious comfort. (glossary, sample child-parent questions, website with more information) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 4, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-4338-4072-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023

Categories:

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

- BOOK REVIEW
SOMETHING HAPPENED IN OUR PARK
by Ann Hazzard & Marianne Celano & Marietta Collins ; illustrated by Keith Henry Brown

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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)