An affirming and kid-friendly history lesson.
A small family gets ready for the next day’s Pride march.
On “the night before Pride,” drag queens brush their wigs “with great care,” while bikers check the air pressure in their motorcycle tires. Across the city, marchers-to-be plan their outfits or polish musical instruments. Inside a family’s home, a brown-skinned mom encourages everyone to “go to bed early,” while the other mom, a White woman, packs snacks. At the older, wavy-haired, light-brown-skinned child’s behest, the family tells light-brown-skinned, curly-haired baby Sammy “the whole story” about “Prides past.” Harking back to 1969—“a less fair time”—the family’s account abridges some of the many injustices that led to the famous Stonewall riot that sparked “a march that spread worldwide.” Going beyond “tutus and rainbow suspenders,” the family tells Sammy about “rights for queers and all our beautiful genders.” As they settle into bed, the older child notes what Pride means to them: being yourself! Debut author McClintick, a social worker, joins forces with award-winning illustrator Medina to present a child’s-eye view of Pride that borrows its cadence and rhyming scheme from Clement Clarke Moore’s classic Christmas poem. Rainbows abound in Medina’s full-color digital illustrations, which incorporate historical references and depict a wonderfully diverse cast, including background characters with disabilities. While there is no shortage of picture books about Pride, this one may be the most inclusive and expansive yet. Endpapers depict over 80 important historical LGBTQ+ figures, including some prominent children’s book authors and illustrators. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An affirming and kid-friendly history lesson. (author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1343-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
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
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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