Though the punch line in Ransom’s story of a grandma’s formal education in grandmahood is groaningly predictable, the buffed and cheery illustrations elevate what is essentially a picture book for grandmothers. Molly McCool has a case of the shim-shams as she anticipates the arrival of her grandchild. She’s forgotten how to be around babies, so she enrolls in Mrs. Applebee’s course: Grandma University. She gets reacquainted with the basics of reading stories over and over and shooting down the slide over and over. She also learns about disposal diapers (“They hold as much as Lake Erie,” notes Mrs. Applebee. “Which means you might not even know the baby’s wet . . . until the diaper explodes. KA-BLAM!”). And she gets a crash course in computers (where by the end of the lesson the grandmas are designing web pages, which truly makes Mrs. Applebee a miracle worker). But of course none of these are the most important thing of all, something no school can teach, something the grandmas already know all about. Kids might get a chuckle out of the baby doll whose head falls when Molly forgets to give it enough support, and the diaper episode is good gross fun, but the reading level for this item really ought to be 50. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 1-56145-214-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
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
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