A celebration of food and culture that reminds youngsters to look back as they move forward.
In this picture book from Top Chef finalist Adjepong, a Ghanaian American boy frets about a school potluck.
The students have been asked to bring in dishes from their families’ cultures, but Kofi worries his classmates won’t enjoy the food he brings in. So he keeps quiet about the potluck until the last minute. Kofi’s parents don’t have time to help, so Kofi’s Nanabarima (grandfather) takes him to the market. There, Kofi hears shoppers speaking in Twi, and Nanabarima tells him that the various foods from their culture have stories all their own, like Carolina Gold rice, brought to America by enslaved Africans who secretly braided it into their hair. Though Kofi, born in the United States, has never been to Ghana, he feels immersed in his culture. He confides that he felt ashamed of being different, but Nanabarima emboldens him to take pride in his heritage. At home, Nanabarima shows Kofi a cookbook titled Sankofa, a reference to the Twi saying “Sankofa w’onkyir” (“we must look back into the past for traditions and stories that have been left behind”), and the two set about preparing for the potluck. Adjepong has crafted a delectable story that blends food history and Ghanaian culture. Watkins’ graphic-style illustrations are full of subtle details that complement the narrative, adding texture and warmth.
A celebration of food and culture that reminds youngsters to look back as they move forward. (recipe for jollof rice) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9780593385944
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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