Hold tight to this gentle story about depression.
A tender story of a young child struggling to understand Daddy’s illness.
As Ella watches Daddy sleep, all is not what it seems. The child takes the initiative to wake him up and, after many attempts, finally succeeds. Something still does not seem right. Maybe he has a cut or a tummy ache, but bandages and cookies don’t seem to help. Daddy explains he has something called depression. It makes him sad and tired, and it feels like something is weighing him down. He gently explains how he manages depression with therapy, exercise, and his family. Wanting to help, Ella learns that love and lots of tight hugs can give Daddy strength and hope. Engelberg, a psychologist, pens a simple and compelling story of parental depression. Even simplified for the audience, the subject is still a frightening topic, but Haley’s colorful illustrations with bold patterns provide a safe place for the conversation between father and child, who both present White. Illness of any sort is a hard concept for children to understand, let alone one that cannot be physically seen. Haley illustrates depression with dark clouds, adding layers of texture to brighten the clouds and present depression in the story as an illness, not a villain. By the end, Ella’s understanding of Daddy’s behavior transforms the clouds of depression into a rainbow of hope. Two pages of backmatter aimed at caregivers provide further information. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 34.9% of actual size.)
Hold tight to this gentle story about depression. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3109-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
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
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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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