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BRICK BY BRICK

Name: BRICK BY BRICK
Author: Heidi Woodward Sheffield
ISBN: 978-0-525-51730-6

by Heidi Woodward Sheffield ; illustrated by Heidi Woodward Sheffield ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2020

Lovely and heartfelt if a little off in the pacing.

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A young boy dreams of a para siempre—forever—house for his family.

Young Luis cherishes and admires his strong papi, who is a bricklayer. “He helps build the city, brick by brick.” While Luis is at school, Papi is at work, spreading mortar thick, tapping bricks in place, scraping drips, and repeating the process. Luis dreams of a house the Latinx family can call its own, with a garden for Mama and maybe a dog. At midday, Papi eats lunch on a bench while Luis eats in the school cafeteria. Mirrorlike images show both brown-skinned father and son with similar lunchboxes, both eating Mama’s special empanadas. One Saturday, Papi takes Luis for a surprise ride out of the city and into more rural terrain. There, Luis sees a new house made of Papi’s bricks, and Mama is moving their items in. This is illustrator Sheffield’s debut as a picture-book author. She excels with boisterously textured, mixed-media illustrations, many incorporating photographs, digital painting, and collage, capturing vibrant colors. Told in the first person, with minor Spanish interspersed (“horchata,” “una sorpresa,” “fuerte”) and occasional sound effects printed in all-caps (“SCRRRRAPES,” “KERCHUNKS,” “WHIRRRRRRR”), the written text will engage the youngest readers. Her command of pacing, however, is shaky; the sense of elapsed time is unclear, and the ending, though satisfying, is abrupt.

Lovely and heartfelt if a little off in the pacing. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: May 5, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-525-51730-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
ARE YOUR STARS LIKE MY STARS?
by Leslie Helakoski ; illustrated by Heidi Woodward Sheffield

- AWARDS
Ezra Jack Keats Award Winners Are Revealed

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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HOW TO CATCH A MAMASAURUS

From the How To Catch… series

by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024

A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.

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Another creature is on the loose.

The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.