A lovely way to help readers unpack their emotions, good and bad.
Feelings, high and low, big and small, make us who we are.
Two siblings, each with pale skin and dark hair, experience a roller-coaster ride of emotions as they go through their day. At the beach, one sibling is afraid of jumping between rocks until they decide to be brave and give it a try. When the pair fly a kite into the woods, it gets snagged on a tree, disappointing one sibling and prompting the other to offer comfort. Doing a funny dance to combat boredom, being kind to one another during times of sadness or loneliness, managing one’s anger—these siblings find ways to help each other through experiences that will feel familiar to little ones. In the end, being together and feeling loved are the right antidotes. Stansbie’s gentle, humorous, and insightful rhymes and near-perfect meter provide concise, genuine descriptions of what these emotions feel and look like for children. Paganelli’s bright, eye-catching illustrations cleverly layer in a simple narrative that encourages deeper conversations between children and their grown-ups. The bold palette and attention to detail invite readers to look again and again to find the family pup on most spreads along with many other tiny elements. A guide at the end offers suggestions on coping with emotional ups and downs in healthy, communicative ways. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A lovely way to help readers unpack their emotions, good and bad. (guide to emotions) (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56891-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
Vague, slapdash reassurances to readers growing up in a worrisome world.
Simple comforts for young fretters and overthinkers.
Recycling themes and even some images from The I'm Not Scared Book (2011), Parr first enumerates a selective list of things that can cause anxiety (fears of the dark or of having to go to the doctor, having too much to do, being bullied) and times that worrying can happen. The latter include lying awake in bed, watching TV, "looking at screens too much" (a frazzled-looking person holds a tablet), and overhearing "bad news"—exemplified with an image of a flying saucer, travelers from abroad (of one sort or another) being much on people's minds these days. He then goes on to general coping strategies ranging from taking deep breaths to visiting friends, dancing, squeezing a toy, or just thinking about "everyone who loves and takes care of you!" "Worrying doesn't help you," he concludes, but talking about concerns will. Readers searching for books that address deeper-seated anxiety might be better served by Me and My Fear, by Francesca Sanna (2018). In Parr's thick-lined, minimally detailed illustrations, the artist employs his characteristic technique of adding blue, purple, and bright yellow to the palette of skin tones; he also occasionally switches out human figures for dogs or cats behaving as people would. It's a strategy, though it leaves the cast with a generic look overall.
Vague, slapdash reassurances to readers growing up in a worrisome world. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-316-50668-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A timely message in the wrong format.
This book delivers a message on the power of collective action.
As the book opens, a child looks at a lone star shining in the sky: “One star shines as distant light.” After the turn of the page, the child now sees what looks like the Milky Way: “And when stars shine together, they make our galaxy.” The book goes on to give a number of similar examples to reinforce the message of the power that comes from working together, ending with: “One of us can speak up for justice / And when we speak up together we create a world of possibility.” In the current atmosphere of strife and discord that divides our country, this is certainly a welcome message. Perhaps, though, the board-book set is not the right audience. As a picture book aimed at a slightly older group with an information page at the end explaining some of the illustrations, it might work well. As it is, however, some of the visual references will merely puzzle a toddler—and some adults. For example, a group of angry-looking people raising their fists and singing together may not look like “harmony” to a toddler—unless they know about the New Zealand haka. There is an unexplained frog motif that runs through the book that may also mystify readers. Nagara’s brilliant illustrations portray people of many ethnic backgrounds.
A timely message in the wrong format. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64421-084-0
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Triangle Square Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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