A bewildering picture book that tackles too many topics.
What adventures are in store?
In What Would You Do in a Book About You? (2021) and Me and You in a Book Made for Two (2022), Reidy invited readers to imagine the stories someone might tell about them. Now, reminding readers that “We’re in this together,” she asks kids to mull the exploits they—and the whole world—might get up to. The book starts off in a library. After describing the joy of making friends, it transitions into a series of rhetorical questions about the types of adventures a child might imagine, from riding in a car with clownfish to eating pie with giraffes. The tale changes once again into a message about the importance of finding unity among diverse friends, followed by a reminder of the need to protect our planet. Finally, the text comes almost full circle when a character enters a library, or perhaps a classroom, greeted by children. The book lacks a clear narrative arc or central theme, veering among stanzas about making friends with people of other faiths, going on imaginary adventures, and saving the planet. As a result, the text feels unnecessarily long, and the rhythm grows monotonous and clunky. While the illustrations, depicting a diverse group of children, are charming, they don’t always support the accompanying text, which amplifies the general feeling of confusion. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A bewildering picture book that tackles too many topics. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780063041523
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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