Reach for books that show the people being referenced instead.
Various animal species affirm that no one is better than another.
“We are all equal,” each page of this simple book proclaims; three lines follow, rhyming in an abcb pattern and reflecting the differences between the two kinds of animals on the page, the second one of which segues to the next double-page spread. A panda speaks to a monkey, the monkey to penguins, and so on. The text makes explicit references to human differences that are often judged. Immigration is addressed: “You’ve crossed land and sea. / This country’s your home now, / it’s for you and me.” So are marriage equality (two un-antlered deer rub noses: “Our love we decide. / We can get married, / no love is denied”), body shaming, and income inequality, among others. The illustrations feature smiling, friendly animals getting along with different species; all join together on the last page, declaring joyously, “We share hopes and dreams. / We’re equal and proud.” The cadence stumbles in some places, making it slightly awkward to read aloud. The expressive illustrations make up for the lackluster text; as a whole, the book is engaging enough to confirm messages of equality for very young children. However, the use of animal characters in this indirect didacticism dilutes the importance of acknowledging power dynamics among different human groups and cannot replace wide and varied exposure to human characters of all kinds. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 34.1% of actual size.)
Reach for books that show the people being referenced instead. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-20255-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Whether spoken by a dinosaur or a human, this parental message clearly radiates “I’ve loved you from the start.”
The cover’s glowing golden stars are but a small hint of the parent-child love inside.
In this companion book to the creators’ I Love You, My Little Unicorn (2022), a world full of digitally created dinosaurs illustrated in eye-catching colors dominates the pages. From the start, it’s clear that dinosaur parents have the same hopes and dreams for their offspring that human parents do. Readers don’t have to be dinosaur fans to smile when the parent-and-child dinosaur pairs playfully interact and share loving glances. Take special note of the ankylosauruses, whose tails arc to form a heart beneath a sky filled with heart-shaped clouds. The text in verse shares words of unconditional parental love and support and wisdom (“please remember all these things / that I want you to know”), appropriate for humans and dinos alike. “Roar with all your might!” “Spread your wings and fly.” “Use your voice, and ask for help.” There’s even a caveat that some “days will be dark / and other shades of gray.” But “there’s always brightness up ahead.” While the loving sentiments in the storytelling are clear, words are sometimes inverted to make the rhyme work, and the verse doesn’t always follow a consistent meter, but prereading will let the story shine during quiet snuggle times.
Whether spoken by a dinosaur or a human, this parental message clearly radiates “I’ve loved you from the start.” (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781728268361
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
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