A playful tale offering readers a peek at moms across the species. Supermom is a wonder to behold: she propagates her species, plays the greatest games, protects, and nurtures her young. The main text comments on the general theme of each page—playing, communicating, defending—while the subtext, set in a bolder typeface, provides captions for the illustrations of different creatures. Moms of all types are celebrated: human, animal, and insect mothers alike receive accolades. While the book does not provide an in-depth, scientific approach to the mothering habits of various animals, it does offer readers intriguing tidbits of animal-mom trivia. However, Manning's scope proves to be too broad; his attempts to establish connections among all mothers result in a few glaring missteps in the text, limiting its appeal. The assertion that "We call the person who gave birth to us 'mom.' We call the grownup who takes care of us 'mom,' too" is not applicable (and more than a little misleading) for the large number of children in daycare or those who stay at home with their fathers, grandparents, or other relatives. Furthermore, to say that all moms are "supermoms" and therefore gentle, nurturing, cuddly, etc., is simply wishful thinking. Ganström's full-color illustrations highlight a nice variety of moms busily mothering, be it a bear cuddling her young cub, or a wolf frolicking with her pups. Each two-page spread features moms of different species engaged in similar activities, establishing, with more success than the text, a clearer connection between these seemingly disparate mothers. A clever concept supported by appealing illustrations that sadly falls short of the mark. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8075-7666-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2001
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
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
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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