A gift book for new parents rather than their wee ones.
In her debut picture book, screenwriter and director Chupack pens a rhyming ode to the perseverance, love, and care of expecting parents.
Written from a collective parent perspective, the book starts by sharing the narrators’ hopes and frustrations while watching other families with children. As the poem builds, the illustrations show parents dreaming about what they would do if they had kids, from reading books to blowing out birthday candles. Interspersed are spreads depicting children waiting for their parents in dreamlike settings. Finally, after dreaming, searching, wishing, crying, and singing, two light-skinned parents are rewarded with a blond-haired, light-skinned baby. The final spread shows other happy, loving parents and their children. This rhyming picture book is structured around an ever so slightly changing refrain, highlighted in a swirly font. The illustrations are bright and enticing, with diverse families and characters amid bright spring colors and crayonlike textures. Although the illustrations are kid-friendly in color and tone, the narration centers parents in such a way that skews it toward adult, not child, validation. In addition to an occasionally forced rhyme scheme, the transitions between fantasy and reality are whimsical but potentially confusing for little ones. While the sentiment is lovely, there’s a lack of discussion around the reasons why some parents might have to wait for a child to be born. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gift book for new parents rather than their wee ones. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781492678960
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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