A gentle, charming, and encouraging tale about bravely growing up.
A palm tree learns that letting go of things he no longer needs can be helpful to others in this illustrated children’s book.
Baby Palm, Daddy Palm, and Grandma Palm live together on a beautiful island in the Caribbean. Every full moon, humans arrive to collect old fronds that the trees have dropped, but Baby Palm doesn’t want to abandon his. “When I let my old ones go, I make room for new fronds to grow,” observes Daddy Palm, but Baby Palm clings tightly to what he knows. As the humans come month after month, Baby Palm notices one woman’s shape changing; she’s going to have a baby. When there are sounds of celebration over the hill, Baby Palm wants to know what’s going on, but Daddy Palm says he’ll have to grow tall enough to find out for himself. Curiosity wins out and Baby Palm decides he’s ready: He drops his fronds and realizes it really doesn’t hurt at all. As the months pass, Baby Palm grows, and soon he sees that his old fronds have become a crib for the human baby. Told in simple, accessible language, this series opener presents a clear metaphor for children discarding things they no longer need—whether that means not being afraid to lose their teeth or deciding to give up an old toy (as suggested in the end pages). But while the parallel is distinct, Mir’s engaging story is never heavy-handed. Like Daddy Palm and Grandma Palm, the tale remains patient as Baby Palm works out his willingness to release his old fronds at his own speed. Kamieniecki’s basic dot-and-line faces for the palm trees contrast with the more complex expressions of the brown-skinned humans, but both deftly communicate the emotions of the characters. There are also hidden pictures on each page, described in the endnotes, offering young readers a reason to go back and pore over the story. The scientific explanations about the relationship between humans and palm trees should be as much fun for adults as they are for children.
A gentle, charming, and encouraging tale about bravely growing up.Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-953887-04-7
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Mir House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet notion that falls flat.
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
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