A RAINBOW IN YOUR CLOUD

Name: A RAINBOW IN YOUR CLOUD
Author: Amina Mucciolo
ISBN: 9781338792409

by Amina Mucciolo ; illustrated by Elle Pierre ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2025

A less-than-compelling story, though the striking art and crucial messages of self-acceptance will strike a chord with many.

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Instagram influencer Mucciolo offers an ode to unicorns—and to self-love.

Amina, who uses they/them pronouns, doesn’t want to admit that they still like unicorns, though their friends have moved on to new interests. But, with the support of their loving pals, Amina soon realizes that it’s better to embrace their true self. This brief plotline takes place over just a few two-page spreads in the middle of the book; otherwise, there’s no real narrative arc, with most pages devoted to Amina offering a series of affirmations: “Whenever I wear an outfit that makes me feel happy…or braid my hair the way I like, my rainbow glows and grows.” The bright, lively, candy-colored cartoon illustrations are a strength; they’ll draw readers’ attention far more than the words. Still, the book offers much-needed encouragement to readers afraid to let their own rainbows shine; neurodivergent children will feel especially bolstered when Amina describes their tendency to flap their hands when they’re excited. One of the most important lessons occurs when Amina pushes back against the idea of being seen as “a little too much”: “I don’t care because I know I’m just right.” The characters all present Black and have fun, memorable designs, from vibrant hair colors to snazzy clothing patterns. On the final spread, they all appear together, labeled by name.

A less-than-compelling story, though the striking art and crucial messages of self-acceptance will strike a chord with many. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 4, 2025

ISBN: 9781338792409

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.

Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 25, 2025

ISBN: 9780063387843

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)