Tender and empathetic—and a road map for families undergoing similar shifts.
Things change when Mommy and Daddy announce they’ll be getting divorced.
Poppy and Robin learn that the family will have two houses, one for Mommy and one for Daddy; they’ll split their time between their parents. The siblings respond in different yet equally relatable ways. Poppy prefers to keep the news private, while Robin confides his worries to his friends. Both children have big, messy feelings that emerge at unexpected times. As the seasons pass, Poppy and Robin gradually adjust. After all, though Mommy and Daddy live apart, the children realize that they will always be a family. This is a quiet, thoughtful depiction of divorce, with parents who do an exceptional job of supporting their young children through a tough time. Sunflowers are a motif throughout. When Mommy and Daddy are together, the flowers sprout tall; after news of the divorce, they seem to wilt; and toward the end, the children plant sunflower seeds—a sign that the family’s love will endure, no matter what. Appropriately warm, gentle digital illustrations employ late-summer and early-autumn colors and seem to be dusk-lit. Mommy has pale skin and straight hair, Daddy has medium brown skin and wavy hair, and Poppy and Robin both have light brown skin and their father’s hair texture.
Tender and empathetic—and a road map for families undergoing similar shifts. (a note for parents and caregivers, online resources, recommended reading) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9780316577564
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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