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THE LITTLE GREEN GOOSE

Name: THE LITTLE GREEN GOOSE
Author: Adele Sansone
ISBN: 978-0-7358-2292-4

by Adele Sansone & illustrated by Anke Faust ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010

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In this significantly revised and newly illustrated edition of a 1999 import, a gander who yearns to be a Dad gets his wish when an untended dragon egg turns up. The scaly green hatchling bonds instantly with his feathered parent, and even though the local hens’ declaration that he’s not a “proper goose” sends him off on a brief search for his “real daddy,” he returns contentedly to Mr. Goose at the end. Said hatchling is much smaller and more childlike in Faust’s bright, strongly textured, collaged barnyard scenes (Mr. Goose’s body is filled in with photographed feathers) than in Alan Marks’s more impressionistic originals, and the revelation that Mr. Goose is a father (not a mom) has moved from the closing scene to right up front at the hatching—a male single parent being less of a stretch these days, perhaps. Both versions make low-key, indirect ways of introducing younger children to the ideas of single parenthood and of mixed-race (not to mention -species) adoption. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: May 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-7358-2292-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: NorthSouth

Review Posted Online: Dec. 30, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2010

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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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PIRATES DON'T TAKE BATHS

by John Segal and illustrated by John Segal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2011

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Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)