A soul-stirring opportunity for joyful reflection while preparing for one of life’s hardest yet most ever-present realities.
A loving matriarch shows her family how to appreciate the good times as she navigates the end of a life well lived.
Bingham tells another heartfelt, intergenerational story centered on a Black family. Granny Dee “lives in the heart of Harlem” but crosses town—“on three trains and one bus”—to spend weekends with her beloved granddaughter. Whether taking day trips throughout the city or painting each other’s nails, the two delight in every moment together. That is until one weekend when Granny Dee doesn’t arrive. “She’s getting too old for the trains and buses,” Momma says. Daughter and granddaughter visit Granny Dee at her home, where it becomes obvious that she’s readying herself for a transition from this world, informed by her Christian faith. “Earth is a rented space,” she tells her granddaughter. “Heaven is home.” Depictions of the family’s loving memories echo Granny Dee’s words of wisdom. Her maxim—“Everybody should enjoy life. Life is beautiful”—is a final, bittersweet remembrance as the old woman takes her final breaths; readers are left with a reminder that holding on to happy moments with loved ones can help them sit with grief. Mendoza’s carefully composed images of urban scenes, subway rides, and loving moments have a pleasing retro vibe; she infuses her art with animated shapes and lines that pulse with energy—a perfect encapsulation of Granny Dee’s sage words.
A soul-stirring opportunity for joyful reflection while preparing for one of life’s hardest yet most ever-present realities. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781534469952
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
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
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
