A sweet, boldly illustrated tale of conquering your fears that will likely appeal to very young children.
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
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
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
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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