Pawsitive vibes all around. (Picture book. 4-8)
A beloved pet questions her place in the world.
Maple, the Parkers’ dog, loves her routines: tug of war with Jax, reading with Avery, and extra-long walks with Mom or Dad. She fits right in as the family’s fifth member. But, out in the neighborhood, people question whether Maple truly belongs. Is she a husky or a wolf? Most say wolf. The Parkers try to convince everyone otherwise, but even Maple begins to have her doubts. She looks like a wolf. She hunts like a wolf. She howls like a wolf and digs like a wolf. Maple’s soul-searching eventually leads her to dart off into a nature preserve near the Parkers’ home. But out in the wild, the ground is tougher and the squirrels are harder to catch. Before too long, Maple misses her pack of humans. Will she make it back in time for her evening walk? Kurpiel’s debut is a tender family story about belonging despite appearances. The cartoon illustrations are packed with small details that enhance the story beyond the text (such as the chewed-up stuffed animals that are Maple’s prey). One especially delightful page turn breaks the frame in multiple places with a hilarious super-close-up. The family presents white, and community members are diverse in skin tone. Avery uses an electric wheelchair. The doggy-filled endpapers also depict a wheelchair-using bull terrier.
Pawsitive vibes all around. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-294382-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
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
BOOK REVIEW
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