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ROCKET SAYS SPEAK UP!

Name: ROCKET SAYS SPEAK UP!
Author: Nathan Bryon
ISBN: 9780593431269

From the Rocket Says... series

by Nathan Bryon ; illustrated by Dapo Adeola ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 18, 2023

An upbeat story that empowers young readers to fight for libraries.

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After previous outings that saw Rocket learning about space and addressing ocean pollution, our hero speaks up for libraries.

Rocket and her family are saddened to learn that their local library will be closing. But Rocket, who recently read a book about Rosa Parks, is inspired to stage a peaceful protest. The whole community shows up wearing astronaut suits—a nod to Rocket Says Look Up! (2019). Though the protest gets press coverage, the library will still close. But just as Rocket starts to lose hope, letters from supporters start pouring in. The town’s mayor even pays her a visit and invites Rocket’s family to a celebration, where she informs everyone that not only is the library not closing, but that many people, inspired by the protest, sent money—enough to refurbish the building and buy new books. Rocket is an admirable protagonist whose can-do attitude will spur readers to action and whose passion for libraries is infectious as she spouts off facts: “DID YOU KNOW…there are libraries in Portugal with families of bats that eat book-damaging bugs?” Given the issues facing libraries today—from budget issues to censorship—a story that champions them is timely and important. Adeola’s cheery illustrations match the energetic text beat for beat. Rocket and her family present Black, while their community is a diverse one. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An upbeat story that empowers young readers to fight for libraries. (more information on speaking up, recommended reading) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 18, 2023

ISBN: 9780593431269

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
ROCKET SAYS CLEAN UP!
by Nathan Bryon ; illustrated by Dapo Adeola

- BOOK REVIEW
ROCKET SAYS LOOK UP!
by Nathan Bryon ; illustrated by Dapo Adeola

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THE WORLD NEEDS THE WONDER YOU SEE

by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.

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Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.

There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9781400247417

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORLD NEEDS WHO YOU WERE MADE TO BE
by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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)