A visual feast sure to have readers finding magic in the mundane.
An Indian mother and child zoom off on a nocturnal motorbike ride.
On a hot night Amma alerts the young narrator to the croaking frogs and chirping geckos. She tells the child that the night stretches beyond their banyan grove and red earth canyon all the way to the ocean. They take off on Amma’s motorbike, with its headlights lighting up “flashes of snake eyes and bougainvillea.” As they drive past villages to the city, they are enveloped by the smells of “steaming silver-cupped chai” and “spicy potato-stuffed masala dosas.” Text and art paint vivid pictures: an old man braiding jasmine blossoms and stars on a garland; the protagonist tracing patterns of the night sky. They pass a silk shop and silent temples until they reach the Bay of Bengal. There, the child rests, curled up against Amma. The dreamlike visuals complement the lyrical text, engaging readers’ senses and showcasing the gentle, loving relationship between mother and child. Bold pinks, yellows, and blues shine, contrasting beautifully with the characters’ dark skin tones and the backdrop of deep night. Verdant forests, bright city nights, and swirling stars evoke motion as these seemingly ordinary spaces take on wondrous qualities by night. In an author's note, Tajsar mentions drawing inspiration from rides with her own mother in Tamil Nadu.
A visual feast sure to have readers finding magic in the mundane. (illustrator's note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780823456628
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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