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YELLOW AND PINK

Name: YELLOW AND PINK
Author: William Steig
ISBN: 0374487359

by William Steig ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1984

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The mystery of First Causes—with almost as little overt action, almost as much querying dialogue as a Beckett one-acter. . . until the snap-close. Lying in the sun, on an old newspaper, are two small wooden figures, tubby Pink and lean Yellow. Sitting up, they wonder who they are, how they got there—and begin to argue: Pink insisting "someone must have made us," Yellow maintaining "somehow or other we just happened." Then, to Pink's scoffing, Yellow proceeds to explain how it might have happened—a branch breaking off, tumbling, being struck by lightning, bored by insects, "or by woodpeckers." But, responds Pink, how come "there's two of us?" How come we're "so different?" "How come we're painted the way we are?" And "so neat and symmetrical?" Finally, Yellow gives up: "Some things will have to remain a mystery." At that a man comes "shambling along," pronounces the two "Nice and dry," and carries them off. "Who is this guy?" Yellow whispers. "Pink didn't know." With a yellow- and a pink-tinted figure in a gray-toned landscape, this is no eye-dazzler—but the kind of child to be, curious about who they are and why they're there is just the kind to appreciate the metaphysics and incidental perplexities here.

Pub Date: June 1, 1984

ISBN: 0374487359

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: May 10, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1984

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

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TOBY, WHO ARE YOU?
by William Steig & illustrated by Teryl Euvremer

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WHEN EVERYBODY WORE A HAT
by William Steig & illustrated by William Steig

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POTCH & POLLY
by William Steig & illustrated by Jon Agee

WHEN I TALK TO GOD, I TALK ABOUT FEELINGS

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WHEN I TALK TO GOD, I TALK ABOUT FEELINGS

by Chrissy Metz & Bradley Collins ; illustrated by Lisa Fields ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2025

A tender book to help little ones make sense of the emotions around prayer.

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Actor Metz and songwriter Collins join illustrator Fields in their second faith-related title for young children.

Instead of focusing on the language of prayer—what to say or how to say it—this book explores a topic central to the lives of the very young: their feelings around talking to God. Rhymes and near-rhymes in the AABB verses enumerate the simple challenges and triumphs experienced by a series of animals: “Sometimes I’m sad, not sure what to do. / There are days I feel teary, unhappy, or blue. / I fell off a log. I’m embarrassed and hurt. / My coat and paws are all covered in dirt.” An accompanying illustration depicts a sad wolf pup, a definite contrast to its siblings, who are delighting in their play. The highlight of the book is Fields’ animal characters. Whether happy, nervous, or sad, their expressive faces are easy to read, and their feelings will be familiar to young tots. The beaver’s frustration is palpable, and the tears in the scared raccoon’s eyes may just make readers’ own eyes well up. Some of the animals have a God stand-in to help them with their feelings—a friend or family member—but the final spread shows all the individual animals coming together in a couple of group hugs that express where children can find support (and sweetly defy predator–prey relationships).

A tender book to help little ones make sense of the emotions around prayer. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 4, 2025

ISBN: 9780593691366

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Flamingo Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
WHEN I TALK TO GOD, I TALK ABOUT YOU
by Chrissy Metz & Bradley Collins ; illustrated by Lisa Fields

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MOMMY'S KHIMAR

by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow ; illustrated by Ebony Glenn ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 3, 2018

With a universal message of love and community, this book offers a beautiful representation of a too-often-overlooked...

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From a debut author-and-illustrator team comes a glimpse into a young American Muslim girl’s family and community as she walks around in “Mommy’s khimar,” or headscarf.

The star of this sunny picture book is a young girl who finds joy in wearing her mother’s khimar, imagining it transforms her into a queen, a star, a mama bird, a superhero. At the core of the story is the love between the girl and her mother. The family appears to be African-American, with brown skin and textured hair. The girl’s braids and twists “form a bumpy crown” under the khimar, which smells of coconut oil and cocoa butter. Adults in her life delight in her appearance in the bright yellow khimar, including her Arabic teacher at the mosque, who calls it a “hijab,” and her grandmother, who visits after Sunday service and calls out “Sweet Jesus!” as she scoops her granddaughter into her arms. Her grandmother is, apparently, a Christian, but “We are a family and we love each other just the same.” The illustrations feature soft pastel colors with dynamic lines and gently patterned backgrounds that complement the story’s joyful tone. The words are often lyrical, and the story artfully includes many cultural details that will delight readers who share the cheerful protagonist’s culture and enlighten readers who don’t.

With a universal message of love and community, this book offers a beautiful representation of a too-often-overlooked cultural group . (Picture book. 4-8)