Taken together, the folkloric simplicity of the text and the quiet beauty of the illustrations pack a powerful punch for...
Millard and Lesnie, Australians, present a picture book about the Great War with beautiful, green-dominated watercolors and a spare text with occasional end rhymes.
Tom Shepherd tends his sheep, and his red-haired wife, Cherry, spins and weaves his wool—but then she finds she must make him a greatcoat of it to wear to war. (The endpapers are the very weave of the coat.) Tom goes from his pregnant wife and his sheep to the horrors of the front, where he loses his life trying to assist an enemy soldier. That blond soldier, left with only one leg, journeys to Cherry to tell her of Tom’s bravery and to bring her his coat, which she makes into a cuddle-toy lamb for their little son. The hope for peace on the last page seems particularly knotty in today’s world, and one might certainly question the why of a picture book about the horrific losses of war for children so young. But it is done with truth and tenderness. “Once Tom’s darling sewed a greatcoat, / and she buttoned it with brass. / She stitched each seam with tenderness and lined it with her love. / Once she prayed to heaven above.”
Taken together, the folkloric simplicity of the text and the quiet beauty of the illustrations pack a powerful punch for those families that want—or need—to confront wartime violence with their little ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7458-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2014
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
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
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