The humor feels accidental here, with illustrations that fail to establish a consistent visual subtext.
Another wannabe bad guy.
“I am a bad guy,” announces an adorable little kid with Asian features as he strokes a white cat. Few young readers will pick up this James Bond reference, a slip that’s emblematic of the uneasy relationship between the book’s text and its illustrations, which can’t seem to decide whether to be literal or metaphorical. “On Monday I trapped all the superheroes in a giant cage with a bunch of hungry lions.” Strangely, the three lions are outside the cage, an upended laundry basket. Tuesday he is a pirate who ties his sister to a tree, and Wednesday he becomes a giant and “swallow[s] some astronauts whole.” In neither pirate nor astronaut image does there seem to be a relationship between an imagined world and the real one. Thursday he runs the sheriff (sister Alice again) out of town while astride what looks like a rocking horse. “On Friday, I ate Alice’s brain”—a winner of an image, with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs on poor Alice’s head and a truly evil-looking brother shoveling handfuls into his mouth. Saturday they go to the library. The “bad guy” finds books on applied badness, while Alice takes out Eat, Prey, Love—another reference to fly over the audience’s heads. Later, the “bad guy” gets hoist with his own petard in a feminist ending that does little to help the book cohere.
The humor feels accidental here, with illustrations that fail to establish a consistent visual subtext. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 9, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6010-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 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
Affectionate and affirming.
Today co-anchor Melvin pens an ode to the father-son bond.
A dad lists all the things he admires about his son, including the boy’s willingness to face his fears (such as diving into the swimming pool) and his ability to “make people laugh, / bring joy to folks.” The child shows “kindness and grace” when apologizing for a mistake, and he perseveres in the face of failure (“They can’t all be wins”). The boy has an inquisitive mind (“You ask questions and investigate. / Who knows what you’ll find?”), and he’s a caring big brother who loves building sand castles with his younger sibling. Ultimately, the father salutes his son for the person he is “through good times and bad, / no matter what.” Melvin conveys the joy of watching a child grow into a strong, capable adult while maintaining a sense of childlike wonder. Rather than focusing on traditionally masculine activities or attitudes, he celebrates qualities such as emotional intelligence and a nurturing spirit. While the text on occasion dips into sentimentality, overall Melvin delivers a sound message. Cloud’s digital illustrations depict the family and their diverse community with expressive faces, capturing their myriad emotions and lending the book an exuberant tone. The father presents Black, his partner appears white, and the tan-skinned children are biracial; all are unnamed.
Affectionate and affirming. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9780063206137
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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