Mistakenly places emphasis on appearances over millions of other ways people can be unique.
A young boy is surprised to learn others are also named Max.
“The one and only Max,” an affectionate moniker given to him by his parents, is reinforced by iterations of his name emblazoned all over his room. During a visit to the park, Max is shocked to discover two other children answering to Max: a Black girl on roller skates and a White child on a scooter. Putting his confusion and discomfort aside, Max volunteers to help roller-skating Max find her pink pine cone. All three Maxes jubilantly scour the park searching for the missing item. Working together has warmed the formerly one-and-only Max to the existence of more Maxes. Later he corrects his parents, explaining he’s one of many Maxes, and despite the shared name, each Max is different in their own way. Since more text is devoted to the pine-cone search than to showing what makes each Max distinct, readers must rely on their depictions to understand what he means, with most differences being physical attributes. The cheerful, cartoony illustrations and vivid color palette are pleasing but can’t overcome the rushed ending and the promotion of body type and skin and hair color as the primary ways individuals can be distinct. Main character Max is biracial, with medium-brown skin and curly, dark-brown hair; his mom presents Asian, and his dad presents Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Mistakenly places emphasis on appearances over millions of other ways people can be unique. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-32411-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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