Many caregivers will appreciate this concise, useful, and ultimately hopeful conversation starter.
Children are “born ready to love,” but that doesn’t mean the concept isn’t complicated!
Wisely starting with the most intimate first relationship—a cozy newborn being cuddled by a caregiver—the authors of this inclusive book scaffold outward to more complicated relationships. Love of pets, people, and pizza are described dynamically, and constant open-ended questions like “who do you love?” invite readers to tie it back to their own lives. Branching into romantic love, the authors name examples of adult relationships, with special attention paid to the oft-glossed-over LGBTQ+ community. Tonally, the frank, unflowery text works especially well here, with enough information to be clear without overwhelming. The book doesn’t shy away from depicting love as challenging—one page portrays children fighting over toys. This is also the rare book that acknowledges that some children lack love and family. The text briefly but poignantly notes that “people in power have made unfair rules about who can love each other and who can be a family.” But by closing with an actionable ministory about a community that changes a Father’s Day event to an inclusive family day, Madison and Ralli remind readers that “we’re building that world together.” Joy and inclusion abound in digital illustrations, with a raucous wedding attended by people of various ethnicities, gender expressions, and abilities. Comprehensive backmatter can facilitate deeper discussions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-52096-3
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
A $16.99 Mother’s Day card for cat lovers.
The team of Costain and Lovšin (Daddies are Awesome, 2016) gives moms their due.
Rhyming verses tell of all the ways moms are amazing: “Mommies are magic. / They kiss away troubles… // …find gold in the sunlight / and rainbows in bubbles.” Moms are joyful—the best playmates. They are also fearless and will protect and soothe if you are scared. Clever moms know just what to do when you’re sad, sporty moms run and leap and climb, while tender moms cuddle. “My mommy’s so special. / I tell her each day… // … just how much I love her / in every way!” Whereas dads were illustrated with playful pups and grown-up dogs in the previous book, moms are shown as cats with their kittens in myriad colors, sizes, and breeds. Lovšin’s cats look as though they are smiling at each other in their fun, though several spreads are distractingly cut in half by the gutter. However delightful the presentation—the verse rolls fairly smoothly, and the cats are pretty cute—the overall effect is akin to a cream puff’s: very sweet and insubstantial.
A $16.99 Mother’s Day card for cat lovers. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62779-651-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
Genial starter nonfiction.
Panels activated by sliding tabs introduce youngsters to the human body.
The information is presented in matter-of-fact narration and captioned, graphically simple art featuring rounded lines, oversized heads and eyes, and muted colors. The sliding panels reveal new scenes on both sides of the page, and arrows on the large tabs indicate the direction to pull them (some tabs work left and right and others up and down). Some of the tabs show only slight changes (a white child reaches for a teddy bear, demonstrating how arms and hands work), while others are much more surprising (a different white child runs to a door and on the other side of the panel is shown sitting on the toilet). The double-page spreads employ broad themes as organizers, such as “Your Body,” “Eating Right,” and “Taking Care of Your Body.” Much of the content is focused on the outside of the body, but one panel does slide to reveal an X-ray image of a skeleton. While there are a few dark brown and amber skin tones, it is mostly white children who appear in the pages to demonstrate body movements, self-care, visiting the doctor, senses, and feelings. The companion volume, Baby Animals, employs the same style of sliding panels to introduce youngsters to little critters and their parents, from baboons to penguins.
Genial starter nonfiction. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-2-40800-850-5
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
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