A fun approach to helping rambunctious kids navigate boundaries.
A day of indoor tussling ends not in tears but in sibling togetherness—and opportunities for more creative play.
Two roughhousing kids devise clever names for their many moves, from King of the Castle to Tickle-Bot. As their play gets more raucous, the younger child asks if they can stop. The older one proposes using a code word: “Something we can say when we don’t like the game or if someone gets hurt.” “STINKY FACE!” proposes the younger one, and “SQUISHY BUTT!” The older sibling counters with, “BANANA?” “PINEAPPLE?” The two compromise with “CANTALOUPE,” and the game continues—until the middle sibling, unseen until now, joins the fray with a “SNEAK ATTACK!” The newcomer must learn the guidelines, including the safety word, and then the rumbling resumes. Payne and Pimienta demonstrate that rules aren’t hurdles to playtime; in fact, they can make good times even better. Presented entirely in speech bubbles, the text alternates enthusiastic exclamations with clearly delineated explanations about the importance of the characters' code words. Energetic cartoon illustrations set against plain white backdrops bring to life the kids’ antics; Pimienta also portrays the children’s wild flights of fancy. While performing the Tickle-Bot, for instance, the eldest—depicted as a wheeled automaton—pursues the youngest, arms outstretched. The characters have light brown skin; the youngest uses a hearing aid.
A fun approach to helping rambunctious kids navigate boundaries. (tips for ensuring safe playtime, further reading) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780593750698
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
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 delightfully silly celebration of familial love.
A child in search of the best hugger takes a bedtime tour of the world’s most unusual embraces.
In the opening pages of this rhyming picture book, an unnamed narrator asks a curly-haired, tan-skinned child who they think gives the best hugs. At the narrator’s behest, the protagonist spends their bedtime routine receiving affection from a wacky cast of creatures, ranging from meerkats to porcupines to narwhals. These animals have a variety of body types, but even those with a lack of limbs still express their love; the seahorse, for example, gives the child a “smooch” right before bathtime, and a grinning cobra offers the child a “clinch,” wrapping itself around their leg. Although many of the animals prove to be more prickly than cozy—the narrator points out, for example, the sharpness of bird beaks and porcupine quills—even the snuggliest koalas and bears cannot compare to the best hug of all: a parent’s embrace right before bedtime. The use of second-person address combined with the protagonist’s beautifully illustrated facial expressions and the buoyant, clever lines of verse render this book a hilarious and whimsical ride sure to delight both children and the adults who read to them. The pictures and text work together to create a clear narrative arc for the protagonist, and though the ending is a bit predictable, it’s nevertheless a wonderful payoff. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A delightfully silly celebration of familial love. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5476-1236-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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