An age-appropriate, biblically grounded, comforting picture book that can help answer kids’ questions about the afterlife.
Emmy Award–winning journalist and ABC News anchor Davis looks at the hereafter through the eyes of a child.
A young, brown-skinned boy is missing his deceased grandmother. “Every day she’s watching over me,” he notes and wonders how he can get to heaven to visit her. He has much he would “like to tell her” and “lots of questions too.” He considers building a staircase to heaven (the artwork depicts one made of Lego bricks), making himself a pair of wings, bouncing his way up to kingdom come using a trampoline, and journeying there via hot air balloon. When the boy, along with his sister and his (apparently) single mom, makes a long-distance trip to visit his grandfather, he hopes their airplane ride will take him to the pearly gates; luckily, it doesn’t! It is only while attending church with his family one day that he finally discovers the single way to get to heaven: “It’s not how far you travel, / or not just the things you do. / It’s all about faith and the grace of God / that brings this gift to you.” A double-page spread goes on to describe how we must live our lives if we want paradise to be our reward, and the book ends with an interesting perspective on heaven that brings readers back down to earth. Davis’ rhyming text is sweet and heartfelt but often struggles for scansion. While no particular religion is mentioned, the book’s point of view is manifestly Christian. Fleming’s bright and airy digital paintings faithfully reproduce the textures of traditional mediums and feed the imagination with forays into gentle whimsy. The main cast of characters is Black; some illustrations include diverse representation.
An age-appropriate, biblically grounded, comforting picture book that can help answer kids’ questions about the afterlife. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-310-77006-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
With a universal message of love and community, this book offers a beautiful representation of a too-often-overlooked...
From a debut author-and-illustrator team comes a glimpse into a young American Muslim girl’s family and community as she walks around in “Mommy’s khimar,” or headscarf.
The star of this sunny picture book is a young girl who finds joy in wearing her mother’s khimar, imagining it transforms her into a queen, a star, a mama bird, a superhero. At the core of the story is the love between the girl and her mother. The family appears to be African-American, with brown skin and textured hair. The girl’s braids and twists “form a bumpy crown” under the khimar, which smells of coconut oil and cocoa butter. Adults in her life delight in her appearance in the bright yellow khimar, including her Arabic teacher at the mosque, who calls it a “hijab,” and her grandmother, who visits after Sunday service and calls out “Sweet Jesus!” as she scoops her granddaughter into her arms. Her grandmother is, apparently, a Christian, but “We are a family and we love each other just the same.” The illustrations feature soft pastel colors with dynamic lines and gently patterned backgrounds that complement the story’s joyful tone. The words are often lyrical, and the story artfully includes many cultural details that will delight readers who share the cheerful protagonist’s culture and enlighten readers who don’t.
With a universal message of love and community, this book offers a beautiful representation of a too-often-overlooked cultural group . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0059-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
Religious-themed affirmation to help steel little ones fretting about school.
Collier, founder of the international women’s ministry Broken Crayons Still Color, and co-author Bak help kids tackle first-day-of-school jitters.
There’s nothing like a new box of crayons, especially when the first day of school is right around the corner. Avery tries to enjoy coloring, but she feels “flippy, fizzy, and fluttery inside.” When Avery doesn’t want to eat dinner, her father realizes she’s nervous and encourages her to pray. Avery replies that she’s too scared; her father tells her, “You can do hard things.” Later, Avery draws with her crayons, but her depictions of her first day reflect her anxieties—attempting to draw the school playground, she scrawls an image of her being hit by a ball while another child laughs. Suddenly, Avery’s crayons break. Realizing she’s made a mess, she begins to sob: “I’m a mess, just like these crayons.” But one of the crayons Avery broke begins talking to her, telling her not to put herself down. The very polite crayons reassure Avery, telling her it’s OK to feel bad, offering her strategies for calming herself, and telling her that “no mess is ever too big for God.” Vasilica’s sprightly illustration are charming and inviting, while the message is a soothing one—though one more likely to appeal to religious, especially Christian, readers. Avery and her family present Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Religious-themed affirmation to help steel little ones fretting about school. (feelings color wheel) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781400242900
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
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