It’s hard to imagine this won’t be a hit.
A slice-of-life story about a little one with a big imagination.
Lila’s mother tries to usher her out the door to spend some time with Grandpa, but at every step Lila is caught up in her imagination and fails to follow through on her mother’s instructions. All the named characters are anthropomorphic bears, and alternating spreads show the real-world interactions between mother and child followed by Lila’s pretend-play scenarios, which undermine her obedience. For example, she hasn’t put on her shoes because playing with them and their unfurled laces makes her imagine wrestling an octopus (which she calls a monster) under the sea. Cavorting with her coat while balancing atop a stool makes her think of standing on a zebra’s back in a circuslike atmosphere. Lila’s shenanigans continue while en route to Grandpa, as she chomps a cookie on the train (imagining she’s a King-Kong–like creature overpowering the gingerbread man) and speeds off on her scooter ahead of her mother (pretending she’s driving a chariot). Grandpa is a playful sort who joins in on her play, and a lovely concluding illustration shows Lila’s mother settled on a bench and reading a book, indulging her own imagination through literature. Vibrant watercolors with loose lines conveying motion and energy are an ideal match for the playful, joyful text.
It’s hard to imagine this won’t be a hit. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68119-362-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
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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