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MY AMMA'S WHITE STONE MOOKUTHI

Name: MY AMMA'S WHITE STONE MOOKUTHI
Author: Anusha Veluswamy
ISBN: 978-1-953927-00-2

by Anusha Veluswamy ; illustrated by Abhilasha Khatri ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2021

There are few enough U.S. picture books about South Indian families; it’s a shame this one is so weak.

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Little Bose loves his mother’s mookuthi, the Tamil word for an ornament that many Indian women wear in their noses.

The stone reminds Little Bose of beautiful things in his life, like morning dew or a star in the sky. Most importantly, though, the mookuthi reminds Little Bose of how much his mother loves him. Amma’s mookuthi sparkles all day long: when she wakes Little Bose up in the morning, when she drinks her filter coffee, when she comforts Little Bose during a nighttime thunderstorm. One winter day, however, for an unexplained reason, Amma stops wearing her mookuthi. Little Bose is heartbroken. That night, Amma takes him outside and shows him the moon, which, she says, is a mookuthi that shines on their family always. The book’s text and illustrations cleverly incorporate aspects of middle-class South Indian life, including filter coffee, kanchivaram saris, and jackfruit trees. In the pictures, most of the characters are light skinned, which does not reflect the wide variety of dark skin tones typical of rural Tamil Nadu, where the family lives. The story does not have much of a plot, and the text is, at times, both overwritten and too sentimental. While the author’s note explains that the book is about grief, the only loss the protagonist obviously suffers is that of his mother’s mookuthi.

There are few enough U.S. picture books about South Indian families; it’s a shame this one is so weak. (cast of characters, glossary) (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: April 15, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-953927-00-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Batani Books

Review Posted Online: March 19, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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THE VERY BEST HUG

by Smriti Prasadam-Halls ; illustrated by Alison Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 24, 2023

A delightfully silly celebration of familial love.

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A child in search of the best hugger takes a bedtime tour of the world’s most unusual embraces.

In the opening pages of this rhyming picture book, an unnamed narrator asks a curly-haired, tan-skinned child who they think gives the best hugs. At the narrator’s behest, the protagonist spends their bedtime routine receiving affection from a wacky cast of creatures, ranging from meerkats to porcupines to narwhals. These animals have a variety of body types, but even those with a lack of limbs still express their love; the seahorse, for example, gives the child a “smooch” right before bathtime, and a grinning cobra offers the child a “clinch,” wrapping itself around their leg. Although many of the animals prove to be more prickly than cozy—the narrator points out, for example, the sharpness of bird beaks and porcupine quills—even the snuggliest koalas and bears cannot compare to the best hug of all: a parent’s embrace right before bedtime. The use of second-person address combined with the protagonist’s beautifully illustrated facial expressions and the buoyant, clever lines of verse render this book a hilarious and whimsical ride sure to delight both children and the adults who read to them. The pictures and text work together to create a clear narrative arc for the protagonist, and though the ending is a bit predictable, it’s nevertheless a wonderful payoff. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A delightfully silly celebration of familial love. (Picture book. 3-6)