A heartwarming story that’s ultimately about far more than hair.
Noah is a boy who longs for lengthy locks, but will others support his wish?
As his birthday approaches, brown-skinned Noah begins dropping not-so-subtle hints about the gifts he’s hoping for: a telescope, a toy robot, and crafting beads. But what Noah wants most is something he can’t bring himself to admit—something that his sister and mom have but not his dad, his grandpa, his uncle, the mailman, or almost any other boy in class. What Noah desperately wants is something “he just didn’t think he was allowed to ask for”: long hair. Noah’s longing becomes apparent to his observant family; they notice when Noah breaks down after a buzzcut and when he wears a T-shirt on his head to resemble hair cascading down his shoulders. In honor of his unspoken birthday wish, Noah’s family (including his lighter-skinned, mustached father; his brown-skinned, wheelchair-using mother; and his brown-skinned sister) gives him his first wig. The child’s joy is moving, captured in Yang’s vivacious images, which glow with warm colors and lively details. This gesture of celebration has beautiful consequences. One year later, Noah happily sports shoulder-length locks, which he continues to grow. Combined with backmatter offering helpful “conversation starters” around “gender, identity, and self-expression,” this tender validation of one boy’s emotional experiences around his gender presentation is a valuable, affirming tale for all children. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A heartwarming story that’s ultimately about far more than hair. (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781419745881
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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