by Jess Townes ; illustrated by Daniel Miyares ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2023
The perfect offering for children who want to understand why they cry.
All kinds of emotions can provoke tears.
A beige-skinned, dark-haired child zooms down a hill on a bicycle, thrilled by the high speed, but crashes after riding over a small rock. Nursing a bloody knee, the protagonist bursts into tears. Thus begins a sensitive, nuanced tale that normalizes crying and makes clear that it is a part of life. The young narrator tears up from joy while playing with Dad and laughing deep belly laughs, from rage when another kid crushes the protagonist’s origami frog, from shame at letting down the team and losing a baseball game, from fear of the dark, even from seeing Grandpa’s grief and love for Grandma, who’s deceased. Displaying an age-appropriate range of emotions and a profound maturity, the empathetic youngster comes to feel at home with these complicated feelings. Townes’ honest and resonant prose grounds readers in the protagonist’s life and offers superb opportunities for discussion about social-emotional development. With stirring echoes of Ezra Jack Keats in palette and line, Miyares’ illustrations are immersive without being overwhelming. Each scene presents a tapestry of saturated hues and tones—reds, blues, yellows—that convey the way this child experiences the world. A repeated motif of teardrops, appearing in different colors and sizes, further evokes the complexity of emotions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
The perfect offering for children who want to understand why they cry. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780374308254
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
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by Jess Townes ; illustrated by Nicole Miles
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Laura Hughes
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Ella Okstad
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones.
What’s better than a cheerleading chicken?
Are you ever blue, unsure, tired, or overworked? Do you ever feel lost or overwhelmed? This uplifting book, expressed in delightful, jaunty verse, explains how to lift your spirits pronto: What you need is a booster chicken telling you’re doing great even when you’re not so confident, as when you’re learning or practicing a new skill, for instance. Your feathered champion will be right there, encouraging you all the way, with a loud “WOO HOO!” that’ll keep you going and remove any doubt you’re super terrific. But what if your cheerful chick errs and doesn’t do what it set out to do? Don’t worry—your cheery chicken just needs a reminder that everyone makes mistakes. That alone is a pep talk, enhanced by the wisdom that making mistakes allows everyone to learn and demonstrate they did their best. So forgive yourself, chickens! But the best thing is…instead of relying on someone else—like a chicken—to strengthen your ego, say a generous daily “WOO HOO!” to yourself. This riotous book hits all the right notes and does so succinctly and hilariously. The energetic, comical illustrations, in Boynton’s signature style, will elicit giggles and go far to make the book’s important point. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-48679-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton
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by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton
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by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton
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