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WHEN YOU GROW UP

Name: WHEN YOU GROW UP
Author: Lennie Goodings
ISBN: 0-8037-2677-5

by Lennie Goodings & illustrated by Jenny Jones ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2001

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A mama bear and her cub while away the day, pondering the possibilities of what the young bear will do when he is big. Zachary and his mom are like two peas in a pod—from their chocolate-brown eyes to their teddy-bear brown fur. As with most preschoolers, Zachary fervently desires to live with his mom when he grows up. His wise mother cautions that maybe Zachary will want to do something else. However, despite dreams of soccer fame, heroic ambulance-driving, and daring cowboy feats, Zachary faithfully declares he will return home to his dear old mom at the end of each day. Only the thought of being a daddy of his own one day inspires Zachary to consider living elsewhere . . . maybe as far as next door. Goodings’s sweet, simple story touches upon a universal milestone in early childhood. Clearly gender-specific to little boys, this tale still has appeal for young female audiences—as they can easily relate to the youngster’s aspirations regarding his beloved parent. Jones’s muted paintings, rendered in subtle pastel hues, create a warm and inviting backdrop. Her pastoral scenes have a country charm and the full-bleed illustrations illuminate the abiding affection existing between mother and child. A comfy tale to share with young dreamers. (Picture book. 2-6)

Pub Date: May 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-8037-2677-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2001

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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CARRY MY HEART WITH YOU

by Danielle McLean ; illustrated by Anna Terreros-Martin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023

Lackluster.

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A parent and child introduce a way to make daily separations a bit easier.

At school drop-off, a parent rabbit comforts a sad child and hands the little one a heart-shaped object: “I’m giving you my heart to hold / whenever I’m not there.” The heart is meant to remind the child of the parent’s love, celebrate the things the child does well, calm worries, express joy, and watch over the child through the night. The book fails to spell out just how the heart does anything other than serve as a reminder of parental love, however. For instance, “Wave the heart above your head / to sing a happy song.” What’s the connection there? The heart is always in the child’s possession, even when the little bunny is with the parent, contradicting the opening premise that it’s for when the two are apart. Most troublingly, unlike a kissing hand, the wooden keepsake heart that comes with the book could easily be lost; with the statements that it’s the parent’s heart and that the love in the heart will never end, losing the token could be quite upsetting. The artwork features adorable cartoon anthropomorphic animals of various species, two of which use wheelchairs. The font sometimes fills in the centers of the lowercase g, o, a, and p letters with hearts, which may cause difficulties for youngsters reading on their own or for those with dyslexia.

Lackluster. (Picture book. 3-6)