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AND I THINK ABOUT YOU

Name: AND I THINK ABOUT YOU
Author: Rosanne L. Kurstedt
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0459-0

by Rosanne L. Kurstedt ; illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2022

Warm and reassuring, sure to be especially appreciated by families with working parents and apprehensive children.

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Even on the busiest of days, parents find time to think about their children.

An anthropomorphic bear readies their cub for school—making sure the little one eats breakfast and gets dressed and giving the cub a big hug before leaving for work. A page turn offers a glimpse into each bear’s day, complete with onomatopoeic descriptions. The parent looks over their to-do list, sends emails (“Click-i-ty, Clack-a-ty”), and gives a presentation; the cub reads to stuffed friends, paints pictures (“DAB! SWIPE!”), and shares at circle time. The busy days are depicted in split panels that alternate between classic pastel colors and, when the parent stops to think about the cub at various points, soft hues of mint green, warm rose, shadowy purple, aquamarine, or light amber. Moments of humor in which the parent discovers a missing button (“Whoops!”) and makes a mess at lunch (“Chit-chat. Splat!”) demonstrate that grown-ups can make mistakes, too, and keep the story from being too precious. Furthermore, this side-by-side storytelling places equal emphasis on each bear’s day, validating the cub’s play as their work. Young readers anticipating the start of school will benefit from both the introduction to daily events and the reminder that they are in their parents’ thoughts all day long. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Warm and reassuring, sure to be especially appreciated by families with working parents and apprehensive children. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-5253-0459-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
KARATE KID
by Rosanne L. Kurstedt ; illustrated by Mark Chambers

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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ONE FAMILY

by George Shannon ; illustrated by Blanca Gómez ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 26, 2015

A visually striking, engaging picture book that sends the message that everyone counts.

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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)