An author’s note and glossary of key Jewish wedding vocabulary round out this saccharine introductory story for youngsters...
A young nephew must relinquish some of his valued soccer practice time to attend his favorite uncle’s wedding and is rewarded.
Chafing at being stuck at the wedding instead of doing soccer drills, Daniel expresses his discontent while kicking a ball across the lawn before the day’s festivities begin. The boy is willing to be a part of the day’s event yet is concerned that marriage may change the way Uncle Eli spends time with him. Hoping to get his uncle’s attention (and unfamiliar with the many rituals involved in a Jewish wedding), Daniel offers to help by signing the marriage contract known as a ketubah or by holding one of the chuppah poles of the wedding canopy only to be rebuffed. Finally, the much-anticipated promise of a special role is fulfilled when Eli requires some help with the traditional breaking of glass at the end of the nuptials. Daniel duly complies with some extra-strong foot stomping. Thin-lined watercolor caricatures in a muted palette present a droll though somewhat unflattering atmosphere for this Judaic setting. Daniel’s two grandmothers, Bubbe Tillie and Bubbe Millie, make up a rather grating Greek chorus with their singsong, rhyming commentary: “A simcha! So sweet”; “Such nachas! Let’s eat!”
An author’s note and glossary of key Jewish wedding vocabulary round out this saccharine introductory story for youngsters attending their first ceremony. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8075-8293-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2015
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones.
Hill and Bobbiesi send a humungous hug from grandmothers to their granddaughters everywhere.
Delicate cartoon art adds details to the rhyming text showing multigenerational commonalities. “You and I are alike in such wonderful ways. / You will see more and more as you grow” (as grandmother and granddaughter enjoy the backyard together); “I wobbled uncertainly just as you did / whenever I tried something new” (as a toddler takes first steps); “And if a bad dream woke me up in the night, / I snuggled up with my lovey too” (grandmother kisses granddaughter, who clutches a plush narwhal). Grandmother-granddaughter pairs share everyday joys like eating ice cream, dancing “in the rain,” and making “up silly games.” Although some activities skew stereotypically feminine (baking, yoga), a grandmother helps with a quintessential volcano experiment (this pair presents black, adding valuable STEM representation), another cheers on a young wheelchair athlete (both present Asian), and a third, wearing a hijab, accompanies her brown-skinned granddaughter on a peace march, as it is “important to speak out for what you believe.” The message of unconditional love is clear throughout: “When you need me, I’ll be there to listen and care. / There is nothing that keeps us apart.” The finished book will include “stationery…for a special letter from Grandma to you!”
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0623-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses.
An elusive new quarry leads the How To Catch… kids on a merry chase through a natural history museum.
Taking at least a step away from the “hunters versus prey” vibe of previous entries in the popular series, the racially diverse group of young visitors dashes through various museum halls in pursuit of the eponymous dino—whose quest to “spread kindness and joy ’round the world” takes the form of a mildly tumultuous museum tour. In most of Elkerton’s overly sweet, color-saturated scenes, only portions of the Loveosaurus, who is purple and covered with pink hearts, are visible behind exhibits or lumbering off the page. But the children find small enticements left behind, from craft supplies to make cards for endangered species to pictures of smiley faces, candy heart–style personal notes (“You Rock!” “Give Hugs”), and, in the hall of medieval arms and armor, a sign urging them to “Be Honest Be Kind.” The somewhat heavy-handed lesson comes through loud and clear. “There’s a message, he wants us to think,” hints Walstead to clue in more obtuse readers…and concluding scenes of smiling people young and otherwise exchanging hugs and knuckle bumps, holding doors for a wheelchair rider, and dancing through clouds of sparkles indicate that they, at least, have gotten it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 9781728268781
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
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