Upbeat and enlightening.
A blind child identifies birds by sound.
Feeling the sunshine and spring air, Mia can tell it’s “a perfect afternoon for bird-listening” in the park with Tía. To Mia, the sky is “the place where the music lives,” and each bird sings a distinct song. Some birds say their names, like the blue jay or chickadee. Nuthatches “honk like traffic”: “Ank ank ink ank onk onk.” And the chipping sparrow sounds just like Tía’s sewing machine! But Mia’s keeping an ear out for “the special call I want to hear,” even though it’s getting dark. At last, atop a hill, Mia hears the “Screeeeeeeee” of a red-tailed hawk. And as Mia’s favorite bird soars majestically above, “just for a minute I fly with it.” As Mia and Tía depart, cooing mourning doves sing a lullaby, and Mia leaves readers with some parting words: “Can you hear them? Listen!” Through Mia’s cheerful narration, readers will also learn how blind people use their senses to navigate and glean information about their surroundings, as when Mia’s white cane registers a log on the path before Tía points it out or when the smell of mud indicates a nearby pond. Mendoza’s bright, warm-hued cartoon illustrations clearly depict each bird and sweetly convey Mia and Tía’s loving bond. Backmatter includes a glossary of birds and their calls. Mia and Tía have tan skin and are cued Latine.
Upbeat and enlightening. (tips for listening to birds, website) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781643795379
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.
Actor, social media star, and entrepreneur Brown pens a joyful paean to positive thinking in her children’s debut.
Brown-skinned Tab rides a strawberry-themed bike, accompanied by a curly-haired black dog, Grady. Tab’s dazzling smile and wide eyes signal the upbeat theme echoed in the text, celebrating the sun’s warmth, which “fills everyone up with joy.” But Tab’s mood shifts, as it’s a “cloudy and gray” June day. Alert readers will spot the dog’s smiling countenance and note glimpses of sunny yellow butterflies and flowers. Mama’s reassurance that there’s “always a chance” for sunshine also underscores the optimism. Tab and Grady bike through suburban streets “to find the sun.” Along the way, the two stop to assist a neighbor building a birdhouse, loft a kite for friends Frankie and Fonte, and lend a hand to others, all while still having fun. Mama steers Tab toward an eventual understanding of the real source of joy: Though the sun didn’t appear, “I brightened everyone’s day!” The illustrations subtly underscore the message of this radiant story as touches of gold lighten the palette, which ends with sunny brilliance. Most characters read Black, though Tab’s community includes people who vary in skin tone, body type, and ability.
Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9780063342262
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 21, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
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