bookshelf

CROCODILE, YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!

Name: CROCODILE, YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!
Author: Ruth K. Westheimer
ISBN: 978-1-68115-551-7

EMBRACING OUR STRENGTHS AND OURSELVES

by Ruth K. Westheimer & Dena Neusner ; illustrated by Cynthia Decker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2019

Potentially helpful but far too limited and exclusive in its scope.

bookshelf

A conversation starter about physical autonomy.

Famed sex therapist, educator, and Holocaust survivor Westheimer appears as an illustrated, unnamed narrator in this title aimed at helping children grapple with issues of consent, bodily autonomy, and confidence. The closing statement, “I’m in charge of my body! My body is just right for me!” encapsulates the heart of the book, but various missteps undermine its important message. Apart from the backs of two people’s heads on the last page, Westheimer’s illustrated character is the only human to appear since text and cartoon art use anthropomorphized animals to enact the instructive scenarios; this seems like a missed opportunity to present diverse people asserting themselves and listening to others. Also unfortunate is the exclusivity the often humorous, heartfelt, and well-intentioned text inadvertently promotes with line such as “Each of us has eyes for seeing…hands for touching…arms for reaching,” and “jump up and down. Do some jumping jacks. Then stand tall and make muscles with your arms,” which ignore readers with myriad disabilities. The misfortune of that erasure is highly ironic, considering the high incidence of abuse that disabled people experience, since this book attempts to empower children to speak up and seek help in scenarios where they feel vulnerable, violated, uncomfortable, or crowded.

Potentially helpful but far too limited and exclusive in its scope. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-68115-551-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Apples & Honey Press

Review Posted Online: May 25, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

- IN THE NEWS
Dr. Ruth Westheimer Dies at 96

bookshelf

THE WORLD NEEDS THE WONDER YOU SEE

by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.

bookshelf

Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.

There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9781400247417

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORLD NEEDS WHO YOU WERE MADE TO BE
by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

bookshelf

ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

bookshelf

Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)