by J.R. Ford & Vanessa Ford ; illustrated by Kayla Harren ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 9, 2021
A valuable model of intentional, compassionate response to gender expansive kids and their needs.
After coming out to his family as transgender, a biracial (half Black, half White) boy thrives.
A young, brown-skinned child who presents as a girl has always felt like a boy inside and wants to be called Calvin. Admitting this openly is scary, but with loving parental support, the child begins to express his true self. He, his mother, and his father spend the summer at his grandparents’ house, a vacation that turns out to be “the best ever.” The family have fun visiting a comic-book convention and a waterpark where Calvin gets to wear trunks for the first time and makes a friend with whom he proudly shares his new name. Before school reopens, Calvin’s family helps him shop for boy clothing, and his grandfather cuts off his hair. Calvin worries his classmates won’t accept him, but his friends and teachers readily validate his gender expression, bolstering his confidence and joy. This transition story depicts a community cultivating an affirming environment in which a child can flourish. The first-person narration reveals Calvin’s inner fears, but his identity and transition never cause external conflict, a welcome departure from the problem-focused storylines of other coming-out picture books written by cisgender adults. However, the text emphasizes that Calvin’s gender is in his heart and brain, perpetuating a problematic narrative that divorces transgender people from their bodies. Harren’s warm, expressive illustrations communicate much of the emotion in the story and are populated with diverse background characters who have various body sizes, skin colors, hair textures, and disabilities. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A valuable model of intentional, compassionate response to gender expansive kids and their needs. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-10867-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
Share your opinion of this book
More About This Book
by Riel Nason ; illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Riel Nason ; illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
More by Riel Nason
BOOK REVIEW
by Riel Nason ; illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
by Stephen King ; illustrated by Maurice Sendak ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 2, 2025
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
Share your opinion of this book
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.