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WHEN YOU'RE OLDER

Name: WHEN YOU'RE OLDER
Author: Sofie Laguna
ISBN: 9781760291341

by Sofie Laguna ; illustrated by Judy Watson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023

Thrilling journeys abound in this lovely ode to childhood fantasies and sibling bonds.

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A little boy dreams of what he and his tiny baby brother will do together just a few years later.

One stock response to deflect children’s wishes is “When you’re older.” In contrast, this book celebrates unbounded imaginative possibilities. In warm, simple words, the older boy envisions future adventures with his new sibling, both of whom present White, in a jungle, in a cave, at the seashore, out on the ocean, on an ice floe, and further, to the edge of disaster, where one blond brother saves the other. There’s no sense of impatience, just the beautiful unfolding of far-flung exploits, including those via books with “dragons, crowns and swords.” A slim tan pooch, sleeping like the baby at the start, actively and enthusiastically participates in everything—even riding on a sled pulled by “wild dogs.” The celebration of brotherhood is admirable. Glowing shades of aqua, turquoise, ruby, gold, and green radiate from the pages. Multiple techniques combine hand-drawn lines, spongelike prints, patterns, streaks, and splashes to evoke luminous worlds. The sleeping sibling can’t know how fortunate he is, but lucky readers can easily project themselves into these scenes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Thrilling journeys abound in this lovely ode to childhood fantasies and sibling bonds. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

ISBN: 9781760291341

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Review Posted Online: Feb. 21, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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A FRIEND FOR RUBY
by Sofie Laguna ; illustrated by Marc McBride

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TOO LOUD LILY
by Sofie Laguna & illustrated by Kerry Argent

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HELLO THERE, SUNSHINE

by Tabitha Brown ; illustrated by Olivia Duchess ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.

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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: today

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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...

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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)