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YOUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT

Name: YOUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Author: Corey Finkle
ISBN: 978-1-250-62144-3

by Corey Finkle ; illustrated by Shelley Couvillion ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2021

Yet another picture book that hopes to fall into the hands of graduates everywhere.

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Possibilities abound in the latest picture book to tout a shiny tomorrow.

“Today is a triumph. It’s awesome. You’re great! / The things you’ve accomplished are truly first rate.” So begins a relentlessly cheery narrator who addresses a host of children of varying races and genders on what appears to be the last day of school. To the thump of its omnipresent glee they are presented with a wide array of occupations they may wish to pursue in the coming years. Whether they wish to become a detective, a baker, a politician, a mechanic, or any of the other jobs on display, children are told in no uncertain terms that they’ll be great no matter what. Even so, what they become is less important than who they become as a person. And, most importantly, the title of the book itself concludes the final line, beating home the overt messaging. Rhymes scan pleasantly, yielding few surprises. A stream of watercolor shades and hues slips from page to page, changing in tone and color as they go, providing a backdrop to the array of employments on display. Not a drop of self-doubt can be found for miles. Amid all these rah-rahs, it is difficult to locate any aspect of this book different from similar titles that flood the market each year. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 25% of actual size.)

Yet another picture book that hopes to fall into the hands of graduates everywhere. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 13, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-250-62144-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
POP'S PERFECT PRESENT
by Corey Finkle ; illustrated by Lenny Wen

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LEGEND OF MOMOTARO
adapted by Corey Finkle ; illustrated by Jason Nemec ; Thom Adams ; developed by Ghost Hand Games

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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)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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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)