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TOO EARLY

Name: TOO EARLY
Author: Nora Ericson
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4207-1

by Nora Ericson ; illustrated by Elly MacKay ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 8, 2022

Cozy, sumptuous, and stirring—the perfect way to greet the dawn.

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Rise and shine for a starting-the-day read.

Bedtime books abound, but this winning title invites readers into the morning routine of its characters. The child narrator rises before dawn, prompting Daddy to declare, “Too early.” Both parents caution, “Shhhh, don’t wake the baby.” At this point, illustrations are composed of gorgeous blue, gray, and black washes and linework, a palette evoking the still, predawn hour. While Mama stays in bed, Daddy and child pass stretching doggies on their way to the kitchen to make one mug of coffee and another of steamed milk. The pair sit on the porch, with the moon still overhead, snuggling as the world awakens. Readers may notice warm colors beginning to hint at the culminating sunrise that will conclude the book; before that, however, the quiet yet potent text engages other senses by describing rustling leaves, cooing birds, and, finally, the baby crying. Once everyone is up and rushing to ready themselves for the day, the child muses, “It won’t feel so early anymore.” The early morning stillness is clearly something this new big sibling savors, including when Mama and baby join them outside to enjoy the golden warm sunrise. Mama and the child appear to be people of color; Daddy presents White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Cozy, sumptuous, and stirring—the perfect way to greet the dawn. (Picture book. 2-6)

Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-4197-4207-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Abrams

Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
OPPOSITE DAY
by Nora Ericson ; illustrated by Lisa Ericson

- BOOK REVIEW
DILL & BIZZY
by Nora Ericson ; illustrated by Lisa Ericson

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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)