Pure dulce.
For their debut picture book, TV host Mathews—best known for appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show—and his husband, educator García-Mathews, draw inspiration from their 2022 wedding.
The flight from New York to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is a long one, but Evan and little brother Andy need time to brace themselves for their roles as the ring bearers in the upcoming wedding of their Tío Welly and their new tío, Ross. After they land in Mexico, where the air feels “thick and humid and smell[s] like sweet flowers,” Mami and Papi explain their wedding-day duties: The brothers will walk down the aisle to present the rings to their uncles…in front of everyone! After the boys find a safe place to store the rings, they dance the night away at the pre-wedding party. They meet their tíos’ guests, including confident, pint-size flower girl Drew (a child version of Barrymore, who was the flower girl at the authors’ actual ceremony and who penned the book’s foreword). That night, bad dreams about the big day plague the brothers. Will Evan and Andy step up for their beloved tíos? The authors serve up pure comfort, combining coziness with low-stakes antics. Though the wordy narrative is a tad overwrought in spots, the focus on familia stands out in the end. Doyle’s pencil-etched digital illustrations flash bright colors and smiling faces amid a tropical paradise. Mami and Tío Welly are Dominican, while Tío Ross reads white.
Pure dulce. (photos from the authors’ wedding) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780593752586
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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