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HUGS STILL FEEL THE SAME

Name: HUGS STILL FEEL THE SAME
Author: Kiralee Strong
ISBN: 9781922539960

by Kiralee Strong ; illustrated by Jenni Barrand ‧ RELEASE DATE: today

An encouraging story about hope and positivity even in the darkest of times.

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Some things are constant.

The word flood isn’t used in the terse yet soothing rhyming text; instead, the young, pale-skinned, red-haired narrator uses stark phrases such as “The rain doesn’t take a break” and “The water’s rising higher.” Throughout these difficult circumstances, the protagonist receives loving hugs that “still feel the same”—from Mama and Daddy and from the child’s brown-skinned best friend at school, which has surprisingly remained open. Then…“The river’s at our doorstep. Our street is now a lake.” Mama and Daddy explain that they must evacuate and advise the child to take a favorite toy. “Family hugs still feel the same.” The trio snuggle closely as a “rough and wobbly” rescue boat steers them to a shelter, where neighbors and the narrator’s schoolmates welcome them. The child spots and embraces Grandma, whose hugs, of course, “feel the same.” Though the child has lost toys and books to the flood, the final refrain has an upbeat tone accompanied by the image of a rainbow: “One thing hasn’t changed…Hugs still feel the same.” Readers will come away reassured by the text and the calming illustrations. Rendered in a mostly warm palette, the art focuses on bright colors suggesting optimism. The narrator’s family is pale-skinned; background figures are diverse.

An encouraging story about hope and positivity even in the darkest of times. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: today

ISBN: 9781922539960

Page Count: 32

Publisher: EK Books

Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

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FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)