Think before you act, little one. Javernick presents a series of small infractions, 13 in all, committed by a clueless little boy. These include feeding the bears at the zoo, standing up on the school bus, rushing onto a football field to get a player’s autograph, littering from a moving car, shooting a straw wrapper into the air at a restaurant, interrupting the librarian during storytime to ask a question, throwing his coat on the floor at school, etc. Each incident ends with a humorless, scolding adult pointedly asking, “What if everybody did that?” Madden’s mixed-media illustrations are colorful and detailed, devoting one spread to each faux pas. The left-hand page depicts the little boy caught in flagrante by a scowling adult; the right-hand page depicts his imagining the consequences of “everybody doing that.” This head-on approach may not be to all tastes. The chastising adults look frighteningly imposing, and, though at book’s end the little boy’s positive act (a loving hug) is amply rewarded, there’s no indication of lessons learned. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5686-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Review Posted Online: Dec. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2010
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A feel-good book about self-acceptance.
Empire star Byers and Bobo offer a beautifully illustrated, rhyming picture book detailing what one brown-skinned little girl with an impressive Afro appreciates about herself. Relying on similes, the text establishes a pattern with the opening sentence, “Like the sun, I’m here to shine,” and follows it through most of the book. Some of them work well, while others fall flat: “Like the rain, I’m here to pour / and drip and fall until I’m full.” In some vignettes she’s by herself; and in others, pictured along with children of other races. While the book’s pro-diversity message comes through, the didactic and even prideful expressions of self-acceptance make the book exasperatingly preachy—a common pitfall for books by celebrity authors. In contrast, Bobo’s illustrations are visually stunning. After painting the children and the objects with which they interact, such as flowers, books, and a red wagon, in acrylic on board for a traditional look, she scanned the images into Adobe Photoshop and added the backgrounds digitally in chalk. This lends a whimsical feel to such details as a rainbow, a window, wind, and rain—all reminiscent of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Bobo creates an inclusive world of girls in which wearing glasses, using a wheelchair, wearing a head scarf, and having a big Afro are unconditionally accepted rather than markers for othering.
A pro-girl book with illustrations that far outshine the text. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-266712-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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BOOK REVIEW
Necessary nourishment, infectiously joyous.
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Newbery honoree Barnes (Crown, illustrated by Gordon C. James, 2017) shows a black boy what to expect on his first day as “king” of kindergarten.
A young boy greets the reader with a sweet smile. “The morning sun blares through your window like a million brass trumpets. / It sits and shines behind your head—like a crown.” The text continues in second person while the boy gets ready for his first day—brushing “Ye Royal Chiclets,” dressing himself, eating breakfast with his mother and father before riding “a big yellow carriage” to “a grand fortress.” The kind teacher and the other children at his table are as eager to meet him as he is to meet them. Important topics are covered in class (“shapes, the alphabet, and the never-ending mystery of numbers”), but playing at recess and sharing with new friends at lunch are highlights too, followed by rest time and music. The playful illustrations use texture and shadow to great effect, with vibrant colors and dynamic shapes and lines sustaining readers’ interest on every page. Text and visuals work together beautifully to generate excitement and confidence in children getting ready to enter kindergarten. The little king’s smiling brown face is refreshing and heartwarming. The other children and parents are a mix of races; the teacher and staff are mostly brown.
Necessary nourishment, infectiously joyous. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5247-4074-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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