An imagination sparker for the very young.
In Benjamin’s picture book, a boy reveals a secret talent in a guessing game.
Tennyson is a fair-skinned boy with brown eyes, brown hair, “and a button nose. Cute, isn’t he?”Tennyson has a magical power that the narrator encourages readers to guess. First, the narrator suggests Tennyson can pull an elephant from a magician’s hat. That’s not the right answer—but can Tennyson paint beautifully, ride his hobby horse faster than racehorses, or drum louder than a rock star? The narrator suggests that Tennyson could be a soccer wiz, build a skyscraper from blocks, or bounce on a ball to the moon. But none of these is quite right…until the narrator reveals the big secret on the final page. Benjamin uses accessible vocabulary words to encourage emergent readers to follow along. Trimarco’s humorous mixed-media illustrations, each featuring a cartoon Tennyson and a blue-gray cat against a painted background, explain Briticisms in the text (such as saying footballinstead of soccer). In each image, the cat reacts to each question, sometimes quite humorously; Tennyson’s activities are also comical, such as when he plays a drum set with bare feet, using his toes to hold a mallet. Although some readers might argue that Tennyson could not do some of the “impossible” things described, they’ll find the ending squeezes them just right.
An imagination sparker for the very young.Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781735853550
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Notable Kids Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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