Winner of the 2017 Jarul Book Children’s Choice Award in India, this kind and playful book may help young readers like Avi...
Avi fears the monster that scares him at night, so his older sister, Swati, suggests solutions to help him deal with that fear in this Indian import.
He tries drawing the monster on a piece of paper and locking it in a box, but that doesn’t work. Swati then recommends writing a letter to the monster, and lo and behold, the monster writes back, its letter tucked under Avi’s pillow by morning and signed “Not a Night Monster.” So begins a correspondence between Avi and the Night Monster. Avi writes to the Night Monster that it scares him with shadows, hooting noises, moving curtains. The Night Monster explains that it doesn’t want to scare Avi, going on to tell him about shadows that play with each other, the owl that hoots, and the wind that “likes to make the curtains dance.” Two letters are in a lift-the-flap form, while the rest of them are in standard format. Striking mixed-media illustrations in a dark blue palette provide a strong sense of Avi’s fear. They create an ambiance that works well with the spare text, just scary enough for older preschoolers and early elementary–age kids. The illustrations show both siblings with dark hair and pale skin. The rather abrupt ending reveals that Swati has secretly written the Night Monster’s letters to help Avi combat his fear of the dark.
Winner of the 2017 Jarul Book Children’s Choice Award in India, this kind and playful book may help young readers like Avi to understand and overcome this nearly universal childhood fear. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-81-8190-331-0
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Karadi Tales
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
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
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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