A welcome refresh of a familiar family dynamic, with the best possible outcome.
A young Black boy negotiates his new status as big sibling after a baby brother arrives on the scene.
From the get-go, listeners learn that “Brandon loved his blanket,” but “he wasn’t so sure about the baby.” Pinkney sets up a pattern whereby the protagonist starts to regress during times of transition: He doesn’t want to sit in his big-boy chair at dinnertime, take a bath in the tub, or sleep in his own bed. When his parents, busy with the baby, don’t respond to his frustrated declarations, he begins to throw a temper tantrum. Each time, “Brandon’s blanket had a better idea.” With three alliterative, onomatopoetic sounds, the plaid wonder transforms into a creature (toucan, sea lion, owl) that distracts and delights Brandon. Soon he and the blanket are a team, entertaining the happy infant. The acrylic, watercolor, and India ink compositions—swirling with the artist’s signature, energetic lines—eventually depict the foursome as a unit. Ultimately, when the baby cries, it’s Brandon who has the situation covered. Children with younger siblings will identify with how hard it is to go from being the center of attention to feeling overlooked. The varied facial expressions throughout the narrative offer opportunities for discussing those emotions.
A welcome refresh of a familiar family dynamic, with the best possible outcome. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9780063159846
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
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
A delightfully silly celebration of familial love.
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)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5476-1236-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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