Like a scrapbook of sweet memories with a beloved grandparent.
A child goes on an overnight camping trip with Grandpa.
Verse inspired by the nursery rhyme “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” describes this brown-skinned grandfather and grandchild’s outing. “One, two, / Grandpa loves you.” Grandpa arrives to pick up the child, and the child’s parents—one light-skinned, one brown-skinned—help load up the car and wave goodbye. Once Grandpa and the little one arrive at their destination, the pair spend an action-packed day together (“Three, four, / hike, explore”) before roasting marshmallows and falling asleep (“Nine, ten, / all snuggled in”). The next morning, they cook breakfast and skip stones, then return home, excited to do it again soon (“Nine, ten / can we go again?”). The simple, spare text is brought to life by Yaccarino’s visuals. From true and tender embraces to sweeping mountainscapes, the illustrations establish a sense of place and the bond between Grandpa and grandchild. The images are full of bold colors, and thick black outlines carve out features and details. One standout illustration plays with perspective, showing the travel buddies stuck in traffic as the rest of the cars fade into a single color, the two of them the most important image on the page. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Like a scrapbook of sweet memories with a beloved grandparent. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781419765087
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The combination of lovingly humorous and detailed mixed-media illustrations and infectious rhymes will cause little ones and...
More than skin deep, this rhyming paean to diversity offers readers an array of families of all colors and orientations, living and loving one another in a vibrant city setting.
A giggling baby is tummy-tickled by her white and black mothers (or white mother and black father—impressively, the illustration leaves room for interpretation) in New York’s Central Park in its summertime glory. "This is how we all begin: / small and happy in our skin." This celebration of skin not only extols the beauty and value of various skin colors, but also teaches the importance of skin as an essential body part: “It keeps the outsides out / and your insides in.” Park, public-pool, and block-party scenes allow readers to luxuriate in a teeming city where children of all colors, abilities, and religions enjoy their families and neighbors. The author and illustrator do not simply take a rote, tokenistic approach to answering the cry for diverse books; the words and pictures depict a much-needed, realistic representation of the statement “it takes a village to raise a child” when a child skins her knee and many rush to her aid and comfort. Though her palette of browns is a little limited, Tobia creates sheer joy with her depictions of everything from unibrows, dimples, and birthmarks to callouts to recognizable literary characters.
The combination of lovingly humorous and detailed mixed-media illustrations and infectious rhymes will cause little ones and their families to pore over this book again and again. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7002-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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