More than the children it ostensibly targets, new parents will appreciate this tender celebration of the parent–first baby...
Two doting parents celebrate the many milestones of their first child.
Very proud parents (dad is white; mom has Asian features and coloring) narrate here, taking time to spell out all of the special moments they have shared with baby. They croon to the little one that he or she (it’s not clear whether the child is a girl or a boy) was first to smile, cry, coo, look at the trees and flowers, go to the beach, crawl, dig in the garden, throw a ball and more. Through the poignant moments selected and the realistic yet muted illustrations that accompany them, readers watch as the seasons change and the child grows from tiny newborn to intrepid toddler. A blissful portrait emerges, with milestones such as teething pain and temper tantrums scrupulously avoided. The tender final pages—while potentially envy-inducing for those readers not first-born themselves—reveal the authentic but often unspoken feelings many new parents harbor: “You were the first to teach us how to be parents. // One day there may be a second— / or a third—to sleep in the basket with the yellow ribbon wound round. // But you will always be the first.”
More than the children it ostensibly targets, new parents will appreciate this tender celebration of the parent–first baby bond that grows as fast as the little one does. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-18533-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2013
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 visually striking, engaging picture book that sends the message that everyone counts.
A playful counting book also acts as a celebration of family and human diversity.
Shannon’s text is delivered in spare, rhythmic, lilting verse that begins with one and counts up to 10 as it presents different groupings of things and people in individual families, always emphasizing the unitary nature of each combination. “One is six. One line of laundry. One butterfly’s legs. One family.” Gomez’s richly colored pictures clarify and expand on all that the text lists: For “six,” a picture showing six members of a multigenerational family of color includes a line of laundry with six items hanging from it outside of their windows, as well as the painting of a six-legged butterfly that a child in the family is creating. While text never directs the art to depict diverse individuals and family constellations, Gomez does just this in her illustrations. Interracial families are included, as are depictions of men with their arms around each other, and a Sikh man wearing a turban. This inclusive spirit supports the text’s culminating assertion that “One is one and everyone. One earth. One world. One family.”
A visually striking, engaging picture book that sends the message that everyone counts. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-374-30003-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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