A laugh-out-loud book that may have readers trying new foods as well. (Picture book. 4-8)
Mom and dad are picky eaters. Matilda is not. How can she convince them to try new foods?
Matilda Macaroni loves to try new foods. Grandma Macaroni’s jambalaya. Sushi at a friend’s house. Pork paprikash at another’s. However, her parents will only eat six things: chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, burgers, grilled cheese, pizza, and sugary cereal. Matilda realizes the only way she can try different foods is to take over the kitchen! With help from Grandma and her babysitter, she quickly “perfects paella, masters miso soup, and conquers croquettes.” One day, she offers to make her parents dinner. Even though she makes something on their will-eat list—a hamburger—they are still skeptical. “This doesn’t look like what I like,” says Mr. Macaroni. “There are mushrooms on it,” says Mrs. Macaroni. But once they take a bite of Matilda’s hamburger, both mom and dad realize it’s delicious! The Macaronis are soon on their way to cooking and eating together. Miller’s delightful, topsy-turvy tale is boosted by Aly’s multicultural cast of fun, cartoony characters; Matilda’s biracial, with brown skin; her dad and grandma are white and her mom’s brown-skinned. Their expressive faces and body language hijack the page, whether they’re recoiling in disgust or smiling a smug smile of success. Readers can attempt the Macaroni family’s quiche recipe in the back.
A laugh-out-loud book that may have readers trying new foods as well. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2562-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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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