An intriguing meditation on children’s agency and imagination skillfully paired with early literacy.
As summer approaches, a preschooler presents alphabetical items to her class for show and tell in this debut picture book.
Maya, a brown-skinned preschooler, gets a daunting assignment. In the 26 days leading up to preschool graduation, she must bring a show-and-tell item related to successive letters of the alphabet. Maya is thrilled—but when it’s time for the letter A, a disembodied parental voice reminds her that neither full-size airplanes nor real alligators are practical subjects. Maya settles for an apple. The next day, she is stopped from carrying her baby brother and then a beehive to school. As the letters proceed, Maya must forgo clowns and other entertaining ideas in favor of small—and boring—replacements. Some adult suggestions are reasonable (do not bring a giraffe to class); others may prompt readers to question the rigidity of parental authority (Why can’t a girl dress as a ghost for G?). In between letters, double-page spreads deftly depict Maya’s weekends, which include tricycle racing and bug watching. While Jatkar’s narrative is a bit thin, there is an inspiring trend of Maya and her parent finding more compromises as they near the end of the alphabet—and of the heroine’s vibrant, wide-ranging interests making their way into the classroom. The author’s ink, paper collage, and watercolor illustrations are detailed enough to discuss during storytime—though the small font size used for the dialogue may hinder readers practicing letter recognition.
An intriguing meditation on children’s agency and imagination skillfully paired with early literacy.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9977181-6-4
Page Count: 46
Publisher: Monkeymantra
Review Posted Online: Feb. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The refrain, “I love being me,” offers a worthwhile affirmation, but cookie-cutter faces undermine the message about...
A book that pays homage to the versatility of black hair.
A dark-skinned black girl, eyes closed, face forward, greets readers on the cover against a bright yellow background, and she wears a pink bow (die-cut out of the case) in her wavy updo. This is one of many hairstyles featured in the illustrations, designed to help readers appreciate the potential for styling natural Afro hair. “Bomb braids,” “pom-pom puffs” and “‘fro-hawk” (an Afro-styled mohawk) also appear. Like these, most of the hairstyle names incorporate alliteration, making them fun to read aloud. At first glance, readers might think this book is about one girl’s hair—which is possible, given how many styles one head of afrotextured hair can sport—but skin color changes, as do clothes, earrings, and other details that are easily altered, although every girl holds the same face-front, eye-closed position. But the sameness of each face leaves no room for variations in other features such as the eyes, lips, and nose. Hence, young readers might consider this a paper version of the video games that allow changes in hairstyles on a face that has limited or no customizability—which also limits the book’s usefulness as multicultural literature.
The refrain, “I love being me,” offers a worthwhile affirmation, but cookie-cutter faces undermine the message about diversity. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9554-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019
Never pedantic, this book encourages a fun, developmentally appropriate way to look at the world.
“Pitter, pitter, pat! Pitter, pitter, pat!...Hey, it’s a pitter, pitter pattern!”
Spots (on a dog), nested diamonds (on the wallpaper), houndstooth (on clothing)—there are so many patterns to see! At first, Hesselberth presents sequences textually with visual support as main character Lu, with light-brown skin and dark-brown hair, helps her friends (a short, black-presenting child and a tall, white-presenting child) remove their wet boots. Then the days of the week carry the narrative along to next Sunday, when Lu can see her friends again. There are patterns to identify in each day’s activity, like the pentagons on a soccer ball, beats in a musical piece, and intricate quilt patterns. Guided identification transitions easily into open questions (“Are there patterns here?”) for nature scenes viewed with Lu’s interracial family. Geometric illustrations are chock full of patterns to spot, but the sweeping two-paged spreads are never overwhelming, partially thanks to strategically juxtaposed colors. Hesselberth includes backmatter on pattern types (repeating vs. growing) and places to find patterns (nature, time, etc.) to prompt further discussions. The text and essential pictures offer bountiful opportunities for reader interaction, whether one-on-one or in a group setting. Young ones can verbally identify or point to their discoveries or participate in rhythmic clapping and repetitive dance moves. There’s lots to discover as well as several methods to access the lesson.
Never pedantic, this book encourages a fun, developmentally appropriate way to look at the world. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-274123-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
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