A sweet, lyrical book perfect for bedtime sharing.
The interconnectedness of humanity shines throughout this affirming picture book from singer/songwriter Di Franco.
An unnamed young character sits patiently while their mother plaits their long hair; the child describes in rhyming couplets their visible traits, such as their hair, skin, and eyes, all warm shades of tan and brown like those of their family. But the narrator is more than how they look—beneath the surface is something they call “The Knowing.” The child goes on to share more about their life, from charming details like their slightly torn favorite blanket to the games they play with friends. All the while the narrator tries their best to explain that The Knowing is a common element that draws us all together. Though the concept of The Knowing may be a bit subtle and cerebral for the intended audience, the poetic beauty of Di Franco’s writing more than makes up for that potential criticism. The message is lovely and delivered gently, and the author makes a familiar theme—the focus on inner life—feel fresh and new. The protagonist and their family present as South Asian in Mathew’s soft, tender watercolor, colored pencil, and charcoal illustrations. Glowing with the gentle love of the main character’s friends, family, community, and self, the artwork beams with assuredness—the embodiment of Di Franco’s words. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet, lyrical book perfect for bedtime sharing. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-38375-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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