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FINCH'S FIRST FLIGHT

Name: FINCH'S FIRST FLIGHT
Author: Steve Ciabattoni
ISBN: 9781665746175

HOW ONE LITTLE BIRD OVERCAME HIS FEAR OF FLYING

by Steve Ciabattoni Steve Ciabattoni illustrated by Annie Wilkinson ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2023

A sweet, boldly illustrated tale of conquering your fears that will likely appeal to very young children.

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A young bird and a young boy both conquer their fear of flying during one adventurous plane ride in Ciabattoni’s picture book.

Finch is a bird who lives at the airport but is afraid to fly. One day, Finch meets a young boy with fair skin and black hair getting ready to embark on his first airplane ride. The boy admits that he’s afraid and asks Finch, who he assumes is a great flyer since he’s a bird, to help him through the experience. Finch doesn’t want to disappoint him, so he agrees, and the boy hides him in his pocket as they board the plane. While Finch shuts his eyes in fear, the boy points out all that he’s missing—when the bird finally looks out the window, he sees breathtakingly beautiful farmland, mountains, and lakes. This gives him the courage to try flying himself: “Finch was scared, but now he was also curious.” Of course, a bird flying inside an airplane causes quite the hilarious ruckus, but the experience gives Finch the courage and desire to fly in the sky once the plane lands. The bright illustrations by Wilkinson perfectly complement the simple tale. With easy vocabulary and a straightforward plot, emerging readers should have no trouble tackling it on their own.

A sweet, boldly illustrated tale of conquering your fears that will likely appeal to very young children.

Pub Date: July 21, 2023

ISBN: 9781665746175

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Archway Publishing

Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2023

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

by James Dean ; illustrated by James Dean ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among

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Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.

If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)