A sweet message of kindness and empathy, best tempered with a gentle jolt of reality.
This illustrated poem shows readers that kindness is worth catching and passing on.
The first act of kindness spotlighted in this illustrated poem is a child hugging their caregiver upon waking in the morning. This action sets up a chain reaction of kindnesses that flows until the illustrations come full circle, and the family members from the beginning become the beneficiaries of a stranger’s kindness when their lost dog is returned to them. The illustrations, brightly colored with a multiracial host of characters, create a story somewhat separate from the poem at times. The commitment to illustrating the ripple effect of kindness creates moments where the text does not sync with the illustrations. Readers will not understand the story about the lost dog until it is resolved, for instance. It also fosters the misleading idea that kindness is always met with the same, a message that is understandable but also not, sadly, totally realistic. On the opening pages, there is a guide instructing adult readers in the practice of dialogic reading. That thoughtful addition will prove helpful to many, since dialogic reading is not intuitive for all adults but, when employed, creates a dynamic and pleasurable reading experience for a child. The backmatter includes an explanation of metaphors and similes that may be a bit advanced for the target age range of the book.
A sweet message of kindness and empathy, best tempered with a gentle jolt of reality. (activities) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7330359-8-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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