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INVISIBLE THINGS

Name: INVISIBLE THINGS
Author: Andy J. Pizza
ISBN: 978-1-79721-520-4

by Andy J. Pizza & Sophie Miller ; illustrated by Andy J. Pizza & Sophie Miller ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 18, 2023

Make sure you see this playful, wise title.

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A field guide of sorts to the intangibles of life.

Encapsulating the old saying “The important things in life aren’t things,” Pizza and Miller shepherd readers through visual representations of and reflections on emotions, sensory experiences, and concepts. First, opening endpapers direct readers to put on a pair of “invisible ‘invisible things’ spotting glasses.” Rather than plunging right into the representation of abstract emotions like fear, gratitude, or love, the text starts with the senses (apart from sight) that help us experience and navigate the world. No mention is made of people with sensory disabilities as the book examines sounds, smells, tastes, and touch, all with cartoon-style representations that would fit right in with the Little Miss and Mr. Men books. Next come more complex concepts and emotions, also visualized on the page. Direct address, humor, and text that prompts readers to answer questions and reflect on their own feelings and perceptions combine with the art to encourage engagement. The resulting interactive nature of the book may make it best suited to one-on-one or small-group readings rather than large-group storytimes, but no matter how this book is shared, it is sure to spark conversation. Human characters depicted are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Make sure you see this playful, wise title. (Picture book. 4-10)

Pub Date: July 18, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-79721-520-4

Page Count: 52

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A SUNDAE WITH EVERYTHING ON IT
by Kyle Scheele ; illustrated by Andy J. Pizza

- BOOK REVIEW
DREAM MACHINE
by Joshua Jay ; illustrated by Andy J. Pizza

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

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How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!

John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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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)