Enlightening and empowering.
After learning about the courage and resilience of his Choctaw and African American forebears, a young Oklahoma boy confronts his fears.
Eight-year-old Dante awakens screaming from a terrifying nightmare of a shadowy figure pursuing him. His mother holds him and shows him photographs of two ancestors, his maternal great-great-grandmother, Taloa Homma, a Choctaw woman “stronger than” the Trail of Tears, and his paternal great-grandmother, Ora Lee Scott, a Black woman “stronger than” the Tulsa Race Massacre. When Dante asks about those events, his mother encourages him to seek the answers himself; at the public library the next day, he immerses himself in history. The violence, cruelty, and destruction that his people faced sadden him, but he discovers another feeling—pride in the people who were “stronger than a nightmare” and confidence that he must be, too. Grimes and Well’s (Choctaw) quiet text feels a bit didactic at times, but it’s wholly edifying, and Dante’s journey hits poignant emotional notes. Lewis’ (Lenni Lenape) signature watercolor art uses vibrant color for present-day scenes and sepia tones to distinguish the historical figures and moments; he welcomes young people into Dante’s world yet offers them a level of remove from the events he reads about so that readers can decide when and how to learn more.
Enlightening and empowering. (authors’ notes, historical context, Choctaw-English glossary, note from Heartdrum author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9780063264755
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Heartdrum
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 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
BOOK REVIEW
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
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