A celebration of a bilingual childhood.
A Latine child speaks both Spanish and English.
Sometimes, Sami speaks both at the same time! Sami uses Spanglish—a blend of English and Spanish—at home and at school. The child runs into trouble, however, when Abuela voices her disapproval of combining the two languages—she thinks that Spanish should be reserved for home and English for la escuela; otherwise, Sami will get confused. After being misunderstood by others and then being marked down for using Spanglish on a school assignment, Sami starts to think Abuela might be right. Though the teacher should know better than to criticize a multilingual student for not using “proper English,” Sami decides to listen to Abuela. But this new, self-imposed one-language-at-a-time rule makes Sami unhappy. A chat with brown-skinned neighbor Mrs. Bell reminds Sami that two languages can be more expressive than one. Suddenly, Sami is teaching Mrs. Bell and other community members how to speak in Spanglish, and, just like that, Sami’s confidence returns. Sami is instantly likable; this depiction of the challenges of feeling understood will resonate with many children, particularly those who speak two languages. Bold, lively illustrations bring to life Sami’s uncertainties and eventual triumph. Sami’s family is brown-skinned; the cast is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A celebration of a bilingual childhood. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9780593521809
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
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
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
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