Make room on the shelf for this book that captures the creativity and universality of love.
Spreading the love, one hug and one family at a time.
Joshua David Stein and his son Augustus, a fifth grader, compile an assortment of hug types. Each spread lists the name of a hug and includes a simple yet joyous, loose-lined illustration. There’s the Sloth (a brown-skinned child treats a brown-skinned adult like a jungle gym, wrapping their limbs around the adult’s arm) and the Tantrum (a bawling, tan-skinned child clutching a tan-skinned adult’s ankles). Readers might know the Backpack as a piggyback ride. There are more than 20 hugs here, but those still eager for more ways to express their affection will appreciate the final page, which suggests the names of 22 more to try. The book is inclusive in its depictions of family, making this a wonderful baby shower or adoption celebration present. One grown-up wears a hijab. A pair of White-presenting older adults are seen with a child—perhaps grandparents raising a little one. A White-presenting adult gives a nighttime hug to a child with dark brown skin and hair, and a later image shows the two as part of a multiracial family. With the Rolling Hug, a White-presenting adult using a motorized wheelchair gives a ride and hug to a child. Readers will definitely be feeling the love by the end of this warm and reassuring testament to hugs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Make room on the shelf for this book that captures the creativity and universality of love. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-52179-3
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Wow.
The stories of the births of the universe, the planet Earth, and a human child are told in this picture book.
Bauer begins with cosmic nothing: “In the dark / in the deep, deep dark / a speck floated / invisible as thought / weighty as God.” Her powerful words build the story of the creation of the universe, presenting the science in poetic free verse. First, the narrative tells of the creation of stars by the Big Bang, then the explosions of some of those stars, from which dust becomes the matter that coalesces into planets, then the creation of life on Earth: a “lucky planet…neither too far / nor too near…its yellow star…the Sun.” Holmes’ digitally assembled hand-marbled paper-collage illustrations perfectly pair with the text—in fact the words and illustrations become an inseparable whole, as together they both delineate and suggest—the former telling the story and the latter, with their swirling colors suggestive of vast cosmos, contributing the atmosphere. It’s a stunning achievement to present to readers the factual events that created the birth of the universe, the planet Earth, and life on Earth with such an expressive, powerful creativity of words paired with illustrations so evocative of the awe and magic of the cosmos. But then the story goes one brilliant step further and gives the birth of a child the same beginning, the same sense of magic, the same miracle.
Wow. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7883-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
A delightful story of love and hope.
Families are formed everywhere—including large metropolitan mass-transit systems!
Baby Kevin, initially known as “Danny ACE Doe,” was found in the New York City’s 14th Street subway station, which serves the A-C-E lines, by one of his future fathers, Danny. Kevin’s other father, Pete (author Mercurio), serves as the narrator, explaining how the two men came to add the newborn to their family. Readers are given an abridged version of the story from Danny and Pete’s point of view as they work to formally adopt Kevin and bring him home in time for Christmas. The story excels at highlighting the determination of loving fathers while still including realistic moments of hesitation, doubt, and fear that occur for new and soon-to-be parents. The language is mindful of its audience (for example using “piggy banks” instead of “bank accounts” to discuss finances) while never patronizing young readers. Espinosa’s posterlike artwork—which presents the cleanest New York readers are ever likely to see—extends the text and makes use of unexpected angles to heighten emotional scenes and moments of urgency. The diversity of skin tones, ages, and faces (Danny and Pete both present white, and Kevin has light brown skin) befits the Big Apple. Family snapshots and a closing author’s note emphasize that the most important thing in any family is love. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.3-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 43% of actual size.)
A delightful story of love and hope. (Informational picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-525-42754-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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