A visually and textually gorgeous story about love in a multilingual family.
When it comes to grandparents and their grandchildren, love transcends language.
A child of Sri Lankan descent explains that the time they spend with their seeya (the Sinhalese word for grandfather) is “quiet,” primarily because the two speak different languages. Luckily, the pair’s commonalities more than make up for this difference. Together, they play dress-up, water the flowers in the garden, and cook traditional Sri Lankan food. Things aren’t perfect: Seeya isn’t great at video games, and when the two cook and then eat together, they always make a mess. When each character reads aloud in their own language, it’s clear that neither one understands all of the other’s words. But between riding a bicycle together, playing on the beach, and trading words during show and tell (which ends up being mostly show), they develop a syntax unique to their relationship that ensures nothing is lost in translation and that reflects their deep, abiding love. The book’s pastel palette and textured illustrations perfectly express the cozy, gentle relationship at the heart of this story. The child narrator’s lyrical voice radiates a mischievous, affectionate innocence. The story’s specificity imbues it with an intimate authenticity that immigrant families in particular will appreciate; Dabarera’s author’s note describes her own experience growing up with an immigrant grandparent whose language she didn’t fully understand. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A visually and textually gorgeous story about love in a multilingual family. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781250824271
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
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
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