A heartbreakingly necessary work.
In this rhyming picture book, black parents tell their sons how to behave if approached by a police officer.
A young black child is distressed by the news that police have shot another man. “They say he had a little girl, / Bet she misses him a lot,” says the worried boy. His brother is upset, too, about other shootings: “One boy was eating skittles. / Dad, I like to eat them too!” The boys’ father decides it’s time for “THE TALK”—one that will be sadly familiar to many parents of color. To be safe around police, the parents say, one must remember the acronym “ALIVE”: “ALWAYS USE YOUR MANNERS!,” “LISTEN AND COMPLY!,” “Stay IN CONTROL of your emotions!,” “VISIBLE hands at ALL times!,” and “EXPLAIN any movement!” The parents remind their sons that, although it’s natural to be angry and sad, it’s not right to blame all officers for the behavior of some. In her debut book, Gragg (Daddy, Did You Hear the News?, 2018) offers straightforward, useful, and easily remembered guidelines, though the fact that they’re needed is wrenching. Nearly all picture books about police only emphasize their trustworthiness, so Gragg fills a crucial gap in the literature while depicting remarkably evenhanded emotions. Holt’s illustrations depict the loving family well and show diverse characters, including a black officer.
A heartbreakingly necessary work.Pub Date: April 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5423-3253-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.
Actor, social media star, and entrepreneur Brown pens a joyful paean to positive thinking in her children’s debut.
Brown-skinned Tab rides a strawberry-themed bike, accompanied by a curly-haired black dog, Grady. Tab’s dazzling smile and wide eyes signal the upbeat theme echoed in the text, celebrating the sun’s warmth, which “fills everyone up with joy.” But Tab’s mood shifts, as it’s a “cloudy and gray” June day. Alert readers will spot the dog’s smiling countenance and note glimpses of sunny yellow butterflies and flowers. Mama’s reassurance that there’s “always a chance” for sunshine also underscores the optimism. Tab and Grady bike through suburban streets “to find the sun.” Along the way, the two stop to assist a neighbor building a birdhouse, loft a kite for friends Frankie and Fonte, and lend a hand to others, all while still having fun. Mama steers Tab toward an eventual understanding of the real source of joy: Though the sun didn’t appear, “I brightened everyone’s day!” The illustrations subtly underscore the message of this radiant story as touches of gold lighten the palette, which ends with sunny brilliance. Most characters read Black, though Tab’s community includes people who vary in skin tone, body type, and ability.
Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9780063342262
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 21, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
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