An anodyne lecture that feels targeted toward the grown-ups in the room.
Jacob—whom readers may remember from the oft-banned Jacob’s New Dress (2018)—discovers that a beloved book has been removed from the school library.
Jacob adores “the penguin book”—clearly And Tango Makes Three (2005), though never referred to by name—but it’s missing! Later, his classmate Emily, who has two dads, wants to show the book to Noah, but their teacher explains that “some people are unhappy with the books we have in our library.” Jacob knows it’s because the penguins are both dads. Since Noah still doesn’t know what the book is about, the kids decide to play penguins at recess, gathering rocks and pretending to hatch eggs. The story ends with Jacob’s mother reading the book to him at bedtime and the two deciding to try to get the book reinstated in the library. The narrative seems to have been designed with adults in mind. It not only addresses naysayers who may be concerned about a child “turning gay” after reading LGBTQ+ books, but also winks and nods at those already in the know. Though it may help validate kids’ feelings around book banning, it doesn’t address their questions or concerns: The adult characters are frustratingly cagey about why books are challenged, nor do they offer concrete guidance about responding to censorship. Still, the book could be useful as an entry point for more in-depth discussions. Jacob presents white; his community is racially diverse.
An anodyne lecture that feels targeted toward the grown-ups in the room. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781433844584
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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