A quiet reflection on belonging and acceptance.
A Jewish Indian girl learns about her family’s history.
As the young narrator looks at old family photographs, her parents tell her stories about her grandparents. Her maternal grandmother was a Jewish seamstress in Brooklyn, while her paternal Indian grandmother liked to cook “spicy sai bhaji and bubbling dal.” Her maternal grandfather escaped the pogroms in Poland, while her paternal grandparents fled their home during the Partition of India. Years later, her parents met in New York. They tell her she’s lucky “to be both Indian and American, to be both Jewish and Hindu, to be part of many things at once.” But the girl sometimes feels as though she doesn’t quite fit in anywhere—she doesn’t know the words to the Hebrew songs at Passover, and she doesn’t understand Hindi like her relatives do. At school she learns that no two butterflies are exactly the same. As she considers this idea, she realizes that she, too, is unique and part of many things at once. This thoughtful portrait explores the doubt that many interfaith and biracial children feel about not fully belonging. Hiranandani gives her young protagonist room to appreciate both of her religions and cultures and to accept herself. The scrapbook-esque illustrations, which shift between pictures from the family’s album, memories, and present moments, offer a nice visual touch that tells a story of its own.
A quiet reflection on belonging and acceptance. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9780593643907
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
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
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