A lovely dream to offer any child.
Girls of various races are encouraged to “dream big,” show courage, and make change.
This companion to the (nearly) simultaneously publishing Songs for Our Sons (Oct. 6) is composed of mostly rhyming verses addressed to a child in the second person, celebrating her existence (“we’ve been waiting for you”) and encouraging her bold individuality (“Be brave and believe in / your own guiding star”). The text is prescriptive, telling the child what to do (“Climb trees, make potions, / run wild, and have fun”) and who to be (a “fearless defender,” “a time-traveler,” “a stargazer, a trailmaker”). With a focus on freedom, fun, and connection with nature, these commands read as wishes for the children listening to the story and for the children acting them out. The playful illustrations show tiny, diverse people—most with long hair, one wearing hijab—being courageous and strong, practicing joy, and caring for the Earth, the expansive trim size adding to the sense that there are no limits. The girls practice magic and sports, they read, dance, protest, plant, sing, and ride on the backs of birds. The rhythmic text is almost as fun to read as Seuss and with more interesting words: “lead your rainbow-nation / in a wild, sky-diving, multicolored / murmuration.” Readers who revel in sound, dream, and color will enjoy sharing this poetic experience.
A lovely dream to offer any child. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5558-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A delightful story of love and hope.
Families are formed everywhere—including large metropolitan mass-transit systems!
Baby Kevin, initially known as “Danny ACE Doe,” was found in the New York City’s 14th Street subway station, which serves the A-C-E lines, by one of his future fathers, Danny. Kevin’s other father, Pete (author Mercurio), serves as the narrator, explaining how the two men came to add the newborn to their family. Readers are given an abridged version of the story from Danny and Pete’s point of view as they work to formally adopt Kevin and bring him home in time for Christmas. The story excels at highlighting the determination of loving fathers while still including realistic moments of hesitation, doubt, and fear that occur for new and soon-to-be parents. The language is mindful of its audience (for example using “piggy banks” instead of “bank accounts” to discuss finances) while never patronizing young readers. Espinosa’s posterlike artwork—which presents the cleanest New York readers are ever likely to see—extends the text and makes use of unexpected angles to heighten emotional scenes and moments of urgency. The diversity of skin tones, ages, and faces (Danny and Pete both present white, and Kevin has light brown skin) befits the Big Apple. Family snapshots and a closing author’s note emphasize that the most important thing in any family is love. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.3-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 43% of actual size.)
A delightful story of love and hope. (Informational picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-525-42754-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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