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HOW FAR IS UP

Name: HOW FAR IS UP
Author: Betty Sargeant

by Betty Sargeant ; illustrated by Betty Sargeant ; developed by Betty Sargeant ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2014

A fine encouragement to be curious, to reach for things strange and distant, to court adventure.

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An alluring exploration of the word “far,” its meaning and its mystery.

The curtains part in a Victorian theater. Rusty, Buster and Ting—boy, dog and mouse—introduce themselves and ask the audience to consider the idea of “far.” Yes, the tips of your fingers can seem far away, but consider the sky. Piano music tinkles in the background as the narrator urges readers to stretch their senses of far. Interaction is minimal, but it’s enough to feel one is engaged with something like a simple pinball machine. As day turns to night, the artwork steps forward, a montage of stylized images, photographs (often warped) and mildly kooky line drawings—the main characters are pleasingly childlike in composition. An odd trophy—or is it a metallic insect?—that has heretofore served as the “pinball” bouncing about the screen, now turns into a rocket ship and carries the three characters far, far up into the heavens, to stars, comets and meteors—even black holes; all are given clear, modest definitions. Sargeant provides some perspective by comparing the land mass of the United States to the moon, but once characters and readers are in deep space, the quality most evident is dazzle, conveying the notion that places far away, even if they are only on our planet and not Andromeda, are full of wonder.

A fine encouragement to be curious, to reach for things strange and distant, to court adventure. (iPad storybook app. 4-6)

Pub Date: April 27, 2014

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: E Sargeant

Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.

Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: March 29, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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RUBY FINDS A WORRY

From the Big Bright Feelings series

by Tom Percival ; illustrated by Tom Percival ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019

A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...

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Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.

Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.

A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)