Imaginative new-sibling fun.
Jimmy becomes a superhero and conquers his archnemesis.
Upon hearing a loud, terrible howling, Jimmy rushes through a secret door into a secret elevator and down to the lowest level of his home, where he transforms himself into the formidable Kid Amazing. He arms himself with an array of gadgets and heads toward danger. Encountering a terrible odor in the Blob’s lair, he quickly uses his trusty “de-stinking spray” and nullifies that problem. When he reaches the dreaded villain, he finds the hidden “howl neutralizer,” and magically all is calm. He applies to the Commissioner for approval and a cookie, making an (unrealistically) optimistic prediction that there will be no more trouble from the Blob. Of course readers will quickly suss out that Kid Amazing’s adventures involve an annoying baby sibling and a very patient mom. (All are white.) Schneider’s take on the new-baby syndrome is fun and inventive. Kid is admirably willing to help his mom with this blobby creature and applies great care and cunning in his machinations, all cleverly depicted in lively pen-and-ink–and-watercolor illustrations. However, Kid’s costume elements and accouterments are explained in small blue and white insets, interrupting the flow of the tale and employing syntax that is at a more sophisticated level than the main text; while adults reading with children will get a chuckle, they may leave actual children behind.
Imaginative new-sibling fun. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-80125-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Lackluster.
A parent and child introduce a way to make daily separations a bit easier.
At school drop-off, a parent rabbit comforts a sad child and hands the little one a heart-shaped object: “I’m giving you my heart to hold / whenever I’m not there.” The heart is meant to remind the child of the parent’s love, celebrate the things the child does well, calm worries, express joy, and watch over the child through the night. The book fails to spell out just how the heart does anything other than serve as a reminder of parental love, however. For instance, “Wave the heart above your head / to sing a happy song.” What’s the connection there? The heart is always in the child’s possession, even when the little bunny is with the parent, contradicting the opening premise that it’s for when the two are apart. Most troublingly, unlike a kissing hand, the wooden keepsake heart that comes with the book could easily be lost; with the statements that it’s the parent’s heart and that the love in the heart will never end, losing the token could be quite upsetting. The artwork features adorable cartoon anthropomorphic animals of various species, two of which use wheelchairs. The font sometimes fills in the centers of the lowercase g, o, a, and p letters with hearts, which may cause difficulties for youngsters reading on their own or for those with dyslexia.
Lackluster. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781680102970
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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