A book to welcome into all kinds of homes.
Williams’ heartfelt text, published posthumously, supports Raschka’s expressive illustrations to tell the story of a child adopted by two dads.
At last, picture books featuring diverse family constellations are entering mainstream publishing in greater numbers, and Williams’ text does a fine job of depicting the complexities of adoption. This isn’t a story of a longed-for infant going happily-ever-after home to loving, adoptive parents. Lester is a boy of perhaps 6 who lived in a group home while Daddy Rich and Daddy Albert completed the adoption process. Lester and Daddy Albert seem white, with straight blond hair and light skin, while bearded Daddy Rich has a slightly darker complexion and curly dark hair, rendering his race ambiguous. The text opens on his homecoming day, and later, a few lines fill in Lester’s back story of loss. It touches on the range of emotions Lester feels as he learns to trust his new parents while also acknowledging the fathers’ struggle to adjust—especially Daddy Albert, who has “a big temper.” Raschka’s paintings (which backmatter says Williams helped him sketch before her death) add emotional depth to the setbacks, miscommunications, and moments of joy punctuating the lengthy text. At the book’s end, with the help of dog Wincka and extended family, too, Lester feels “truly home at last.”
A book to welcome into all kinds of homes. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-134973-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
PERSPECTIVES
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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