Familiar emotions writ large.
A young girl explores how she feels when she is with her father.
Roussey’s illustrations stand out, the ink-drawn girl tiny next to her father’s gigantic hands, emphasizing just how outsized his influence on her and her emotions is. When she gives her dad a hug, she feels “like / a little bird in a warm, comfy nest. / When I am with my dad, I feel safe.” The picture may be difficult for literal thinkers to puzzle out: The girl rests in a house-shaped space superimposed on a tree that resembles a green lollipop. Her dad’s giant left hand waters the tree; his right lays a blanket on the girl. Dad also makes her feel “brave,” “daring,” “confident” in her abilities (she rides a two-wheeler across the back of his hand), “adventurous” (at the pool), “playful,” “calm,” “excited,” “angry,” and “peaceful and happy again.” But “No matter what I am feeling / …. / I love my dad, / and my dad loves me.” Dad’s extremities are the only parts of him visible, and both he and his daughter are paper-white, she with bobbed dark hair tied with a red bow. As with other titles in the Growing Hearts series, this one has thick board pages, but oddly, unlike the others, this one lacks the die cuts and flaps that make thick pages a necessity.
Familiar emotions writ large. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2822-8
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
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