A hopeful, sadly necessary resource for children coping with a caregiver under medical treatment.
Singh and Prabhat combine forces for an unflinchingly honest yet soothing book about a child and his mother’s illness.
Ani’s mother isn’t home, and he is stuck in the dark: “It’s dark. Still dark,” he says, even when morning comes and the sun peeps in through his window. His nani (maternal grandmother) offers him ice cream, but he says nothing. At school, “everything had lost its color.” He rebuffs his friends, seeking solace with his dog, Dobby. When his mother finally does come home, her hair is gone, but “nothing was dark anymore!” and the colors return to the world. Ani relays his fears to his mother—that she might never come back—and she reassures him: “As long as you let others love you…you will be okay.” Ani isn’t sure: “Even if you aren’t there?” he asks. “Yes,” she says. Singh, a professor of psychology, includes an author’s note that stresses the importance of honesty in the face of difficult situations, from illness to divorce to death. Prabhat’s illustrations set the story in India and deftly capture Ani’s darkness and lightness with both perspective and palette. Bird’s-eye views of Ani from directly overhead emphasize his powerlessness while a cloud of darkness that surrounds him effectively captures his unhappiness; a two-page spread detailing Ani’s despair is particularly powerful.
A hopeful, sadly necessary resource for children coping with a caregiver under medical treatment. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 23, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3277-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
A sweet notion that falls flat.
A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.
Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622599
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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
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