A sweet tale about coming together to enjoy home-grown food.
In this picture book, a community garden is the scene of a delightful vegetable feast.
Grandpa’s community garden is full of vegetable wonders that bring people together from all walks of life. One by one, Gardella introduces readers to each of the ingredients for a healthy meal that the grandkids assemble. They begin with that classic staple, lettuce, then move on to radishes, celery, and more. The author describes the appearance and role of each part of the salad: “These are the beets, pickled or plain, / Painting the lettuce with their rich, red stain, / And bringing some softness to the luscious salad / That comes from Grandpa’s garden.” Confusingly, Gardella’s verse style echoes that of the classic rhyme “This Is the House That Jack Built,” but misses the opportunity for each line to build on the previous one to create a long, continuous string of steps for salad-making. As the meal takes shape, readers will find that one of the most important additions to the salad does not grow in the garden, but instead is the multiracial family that sits around the table to eat it. Donnelly’s brightly colored, highly detailed illustrations demonstrate how to prepare the ingredients, such as putting the lettuce in a salad spinner and grating the carrots. Together with Donnelly’s instructive pictures, this engaging story encourages sustainable practices and a community mindset in its readers, who may still be learning where their food comes from.
A sweet tale about coming together to enjoy home-grown food.Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9781959412274
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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