An inspiring, visually appealing read filled with tools to help manage uncertainty.
When that anxious “ ‘butterflies’ in their belly” feeling sets in, kids can counter stress with positive strategies.
A series of rhyming stanzas outline the ups and downs of daily life. Loneliness or laughter, scary changes or new opportunities, obstacles or questions—anything unknown can lead to new worries. Verse describing differing, sometimes contradictory situations is paired with vibrant illustrations, rendered in crayon, gouache, pencil, and water-based paints, depicting diverse groups of children. On one spread (“Tomorrow may bring endless sun or swirly, snowy skies. / Tomorrow may bring new hellos or difficult goodbyes”) we see a wintry storm on the verso; on the recto, in a sunny scene filled with butterflies, two figures are hugging tightly. Butterflies are a motif throughout, suggesting a sense of tranquility. Finally, the text points out that “You can’t control what happens next— / the what, the where, the how. / The only thing in your control is you.” An easy breathing and self-motivating strategy is suggested: “You take a breath. / You close your eyes. / You whisper, “I am strong.” As a whole, it’s an effective way to allow the fearful, worrisome thoughts to subside, especially if introduced to readers by caring adults. Backmatter includes several “Tips for Managing Worries” written by a child development specialist. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An inspiring, visually appealing read filled with tools to help manage uncertainty. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781646868414
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child...
Imani endures the insults heaped upon her by the other village children, but she never gives up her dreams.
The Masai girl is tiny compared to the other children, but she is full of imagination and perseverance. Luckily, she has a mother who believes in her and tells her stories that will fuel that imagination. Mama tells her about the moon goddess, Olapa, who wins over the sun god. She tells Imani about Anansi, the trickster spider who vanquishes a larger snake. (Troublingly, the fact that Anansi is a West African figure, not of the Masai, goes unaddressed in both text and author’s note.) Inspired, the tiny girl tries to find new ways to achieve her dream: to touch the moon. One day, after crashing to the ground yet again when her leafy wings fail, she is ready to forget her hopes. That night, she witnesses the adumu, the special warriors’ jumping dance. Imani wakes the next morning, determined to jump to the moon. After jumping all day, she reaches the moon, meets Olapa and receives a special present from the goddess, a small moon rock. Now she becomes the storyteller when she relates her adventure to Mama. The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations have been enhanced digitally, and the night scenes of storytelling and fantasy with their glowing stars and moons have a more powerful impact than the daytime scenes, with their blander colors.
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-934133-57-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mackinac Island Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
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