Informative—though not expansive—in its vision for explaining gestation to children.
A month-to-month guide for expectant older siblings.
The opening text offers “Congratulations!” to soon-to-be big brothers and sisters, assuring the racially diverse group of children depicted, “You’re going to be a very important part of their life.” While this last pronoun is gender-inclusive with regard to a new baby on the way, the text as a whole reinforces a strict gender binary in its address of brothers and sisters and in contemplating whether the baby will be a boy or a girl. Heteronormativity is also apparent in repeated references to a mom with illustrations that appear to depict only mom and dad couples. (A more inclusive, comparable title would be Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth’s What Makes a Baby, 2013). Alongside these concerns, however, is accessible content regarding gestation that will answer many young children’s questions about pregnancy, fetal development, and birth. Included in the cartoon-style art, for example, are depictions of various foods and other objects that approximate the average size of a developing baby in the womb, ranging from “a speck of sand at the seaside” for Month 1 to a watermelon at Month 9. Additional information about fetal activity and characteristics is included on each spread, too, and there’s careful attention to respect for pregnant and postpartum parents’ need for rest and support.
Informative—though not expansive—in its vision for explaining gestation to children. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-61067-953-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Adults wishing to expand the worldviews of their young charges beyond Eurocentric interpretations will find plenty of visual...
A retelling of the classic fairy tale with India as its setting.
This latest addition to the Once Upon A World series tells the well-known story of the maiden with beautiful long tresses locked away in a tower by an evil witch and the prince who falls in love with her. As with Perkins’ Cinderella (illustrated by Sandra Equihua, 2016) and Snow White (illustrated by Misa Saburi, 2016), the text has been simplified for a younger audience, and the distinguishing twist here is its setting in India. The mixed-media illustrations of plants, animals, village life, and, of course, Rapunzel, the witch, and the prince come alive in warm, saturated colors. Other than the visuals, there is little to differentiate the story from traditional tellings. As always, it is still the prince who will eventually lead Rapunzel to her salvation by taking her to his kingdom far away from the witch, but that is the nature of fairy tales. The only quibble with this book and indeed with this series is the board-book format. Given the fact that the audience most likely to enjoy it is beyond the board-book age, a full-size book would have done more justice to the vibrant artwork.
Adults wishing to expand the worldviews of their young charges beyond Eurocentric interpretations will find plenty of visual delights in this one, though they’ll wish it were bigger. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9072-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nice addition to the series.
A retelling of the well-known Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale with a Russian setting.
The Once Upon a World series travels the globe setting familiar Western fairy tales in different locales. This latest addition to the series is set in Russia and tells the story of the “lonely young prince who wanted to fall in love” and of his parents’ insistence that the bride-to-be be a princess. After traveling far and wide and meeting many princesses who are not right for him, the prince returns home, disappointed. One rainy evening, a wet and cold, dark-haired princess appears at the castle door. Refreshingly, the prince and princess fall in love not because they are a prince and princess but because they have talked and found they have much in common: they have traveled widely, explored the same places, and had adventures. Mirtalipova’s illustrations have a pleasing folksy feel, many pages decorated with pretty flowery borders. One double-page spread of the princess being taken care of by a host of servants is particularly appealing. (With the exception of one brown-skinned princess, all the characters are white.) Though the text has been simplified and the presentation is in board-book format, the intended audience is not the toddler set. And the prince and princess? As with the traditional telling, the princess passes the pea test and they live happily ever after.
A nice addition to the series. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0019-1
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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