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SMILING EYES

Name: SMILING EYES
Author: Linda Sue Park
ISBN: 9780358663928

by Linda Sue Park ; illustrated by Lenny Wen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 25, 2025

Eye-catching and inspiring.

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In Newbery Medalist Park’s latest, a child explores the community through the eyes of others.

Eye imagery is ever-present in this book, starting with the opening pages. The protagonist, who presents East Asian, awakens; surrounded by vibrant yellow sheets that resemble an eyelid, the child’s face looks like a pupil. Downstairs, the youngster notices family members’ eyes: “Smiling eyes / bright eyes / twinkling eyes—wink!” At school, the child’s diverse classmates smile with their own “shining eyes,” “wide eyes,” and “surprised eyes—blink!” The protagonist observes the other children’s eye colors: “Brown eyes / green eyes / hazel or blue / You can see me / and I can see you!” Scenes of a charming neighborhood are warmly textured with blots and lines of bright colors that bring movement and depth to each page. The tale gently transitions to a neighborhood street as Park muses further on eyes. Characters pick out glasses; others read stories (some via braille). They also use their eyes to express—and notice—emotions. As the child eventually falls asleep, Wen leaves us with the image of constellations in the sky forming the shape of an eye. Paired with warm and whimsical portrayals of an inclusive, supportive community, the verse is simple and jaunty yet potent, encouraging young readers to consider this sense from various angles.

Eye-catching and inspiring. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025

ISBN: 9780358663928

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Allida/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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GRACIE UNDER THE WAVES
by Linda Sue Park ; illustrated by Maxine Vee

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MY BOOK AND ME
by Linda Sue Park ; illustrated by Chris Raschka

- BOOK REVIEW
THE ONE THING YOU'D SAVE
by Linda Sue Park ; illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

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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

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

- BOOK REVIEW
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)