A powerful celebration of the parent-child bond and the moments that make an impact.
A child draws on memories of the past to pull strength for the present and future.
Tim and his father travel along the “upper South Branch / of the Au Sable River…in Michigan country” for a summertime camping trip. After driving over tough terrain to the campsite, they pitch a tent, dig a fire pit, and head to the river for a day of fishing. Dad teaches Tim important skills such as how to prepare his catch and properly cook it while the two gather by a nighttime campfire. When the hoot of an owl awakens them in the middle of the night, father and son further bond over the day’s events as they have a few laughs. The book ends on a wintry day, with Tim and his mother looking at pictures of his father. Dad is now fighting in an unnamed “far-away war,” but Tim’s memories of that day linger. By turns verbose and spare, the late Jackson’s text works well with Floca’s illustrations, which are rendered in a soft palette to showcase the natural world’s elegant beauty. Floca’s signature pen, ink, and watercolor art captures the spirit of memories, showing that they can be both immediate and cloudy. Young readers will readily relate to the universal experience of thinking about positive times when missing a loved one. Characters present white.
A powerful celebration of the parent-child bond and the moments that make an impact. (illustrator’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9780823444953
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
A sweet notion that falls flat.
A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.
Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622599
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
