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WHEN YOU'RE FEELING SICK

Name: WHEN YOU'RE FEELING SICK
Author: Coy Bowles
ISBN: 978-0-399-55286-1

by Coy Bowles ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 10, 2017

Skip this in favor of some chicken soup.

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The guitarist and organist for the Zac Brown Band outlines what to do and not do when you are feeling sick.

The advice runs the gamut from the humorous to truisms and upbeat platitudes, with a fair amount of silliness that has nothing to do with illness. Yes, chicken soup is meant for your mouth, not to be dumped on your head, and it’s possible purple elephants might just eat all your food if you invite them for lunch. But even wading through the foolishness, there’s not much to this. Simply saying something, for instance, doesn’t make it so: “Don’t be afraid of needles or your nurse. / She’s not a wicked witch with a broom and curse.” The author recommends two things to start feeling better and get rid of the germs: a silly face that involves sticking your fingers in your mouth (a sure way to share the illness) and a rhyming Sickness Song. But no matter what doctors or nurses do, no matter what silly faces one makes or rhyme one recites, there are some illnesses that won’t get better, and Bowles’ closing overlooks this fact: “Whatever you do, you must stay strong. / You might be sick now but you won’t be for long. / You’ll be running and swimming and swinging / And playing and dancing and you’ll feel just fine. / Don’t you worry one little bit, it’s just a matter of time.” The seemingly digital illustrations are brightly colored and show a wide array of diversity in gender and race and ability.

Skip this in favor of some chicken soup. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-399-55286-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

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A THOUSAND YEARS

by Christina Perri ; illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2025

A sweet notion that falls flat.

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A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.

Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.

A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2025

ISBN: 9780593622599

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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)