A wonderful story of a family’s cultural tradition shared with the whole community.
Amira wants to bestow the perfect name on her baby sister.
True to tradition in many West African countries, Amira’s family has planned a big celebration, complete with food and gifts, for the naming of their new arrival. But the baby doesn’t get just one name; everyone who comes can give her a name, and as she grows, each attendee can either call her their special name or use the name her parents have given her. Grandma Nana, who has dark brown skin like Amira, is gifting the name Shakira, meaning thankful; Amira’s friend Miki gives the baby the name Akahana, Japanese for bright red flower, and appropriately brings along a red flower. The naming ceremony begins—Habiba, or beloved, is the name chosen by Mama and Papa. Though Amira is unsure how her name measures up, at last she proudly names her Otta, or friend. Amira, Mama, Papa, and the baby wear bright blue fabric with golden yellow patterns on it resembling gingko leaves, and though Grandma Nana wears a deep pink dress, it also has the same leaf pattern—identifying them as family. This informative and impactful story gives young readers a window into how West Africans welcome new children into their family. Mohammed’s digitally rendered mixed-media images capture the joyous mood of the gathering. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A wonderful story of a family’s cultural tradition shared with the whole community. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781419756269
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
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