Sweet but underwhelming.
A young boat ventures off while a nurturing lighthouse worries and waits.
Perched in an idyllic harbor, Lighthouse keeps a watchful eye over all the ships that pass by. Along comes a young boat named Brightness, and Lighthouse has all the more reason to glow as she watches out for the newcomer. After a summer of testing nearby waters in the harbor, Brightness disappears, much to Lighthouse’s dismay. Seasons pass, and on a stormy night, Brightness finally returns, and Lighthouse guides the boat back to safety. “Even after I left you to see the whole wide world…you led me back home,” says Brightness. “That’s as it should be,” responds Lighthouse. Mantle’s illustrations are rich with bright nautical tones; characters are lightly anthropomorphized. Some scenes evoke emotion, especially the one depicting the thrashing, stormy waves, set against a vicious-looking night sky. Rich vocabulary (“rusty trawlers and stately sloops, crusty shrimpers”) might intrigue boat enthusiasts. Overall, though, the text is a bit wordy, and the story drags. Readers never find out where Brightness goes all autumn—a missed opportunity to add some drama or complexity to the narrative. Lighthouse serves only to support and calm her community; it’s a one-dimensional portrayal of caregiving, in the vein of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree (1964) and other stories across the kid-lit canon.
Sweet but underwhelming. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9780063114234
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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