Artful rhymes and radiant illustrations paint a loving picture in this charming work for young readers.
Motz presents a sweet tribute to love and family in this children’s picture book.
“Where do I come from?” is a common question that kids ask adults. This delightful work simplistically but sweetly answers, “I tell you, my child / that you come from love,” followed by 25 colorful pages detailing myriad ways that love can manifest. Whether it comes from “the universe,” “the stars,” and the “earth” or from “the song…sang at your birth,” love is shown to “lift you, again and again” and “carry you, now ’til the end.” Easy but powerful rhymes allude to dynamic themes of spirituality, ancestry, and family, allowing caretakers and their children to choose their own path regarding the subject. The book would work well as a quick bedtime story or an in-depth opportunity to explore the multiple ways to have a family and experience love. Illustrator Aspiras aids in emphasizing the beauty of diversity by using bold, striking colors to depict varied genders and cultures within a family. At the heart of most images are two small children in a picturesque world. Both adults and kids will be enchanted by the alluring, sweeping imagery on each page as they read that love is, in fact, all around.
Artful rhymes and radiant illustrations paint a loving picture in this charming work for young readers.Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781662936234
Page Count: 31
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.
Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.
Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217032464
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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