A soft touch of peace for a life well lived.
A full life is depicted.
Fox’s gentle prose begins with a tiny star falling from the sky. The narrator is careful to reassure readers that “this happens all the time.” In a twist expressed so straightforwardly it feels possible, the text relates that it “turned into a baby!” The interracial couple that finds the baby wraps it in a star-covered quilt. That blue, cozy blanket stays with the child, a steadfast marker for readers to follow as the child grows and changes (but is never gendered). “It grew older and older, / and older still. / And even older than that. / The longer it lived, the more it was loved.” That once-tiny star is now depicted as a brown-skinned human with straight, black hair, surrounded by family and friends. Then, as once it grew larger, it now begins to shrink, stooped over, using a walker. Depicted as a frail, smiling elderly human, it settles in to the very same chair into which the star first fell. Suddenly, all that is left is the quilt. The loved ones, all mourning, seek comfort in looking at the sky and seeing the star once again. “Every heart was lightened. / Every heart began to mend.” Grief can feel impossible, but Fox’s words whisper straight to one’s heart while Blackwood’s characteristically warm, smudgy illustrations exude warmth. A true sense of community is found within; neighbors gather, animals flock together. Blackwood and Fox embrace growth and love. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A soft touch of peace for a life well lived. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-30401-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
