When Eliza begins her first day of kindergarten, her mother lovingly places a special kiss inside her pocket. However, much to her dismay, Eliza discovers that her pocket of kisses feels too empty and is soon awash in homesickness. As she goes through the routine of a typical kindergarten day, the intrepid little girl discovers mundane items that remind her of her mom. By midday, she has collected a pair of blue buttons discovered at circle time, a smooth pebble found at recess and a red napkin salvaged from snack. A touch of creativity at craft time results in a cleverly crafted keepsake for Eliza to assuage her longing for her mother. McGinty’s compassionate tale gives anxious readers the inspiration to discover unique ways to handle their own separation anxieties. Speir’s acrylic paintings rely on bright bold colors to capture the reader’s attention. The simplicity of her illustrations allows readers to connect with Eliza’s changing emotions. This encouraging tale emphasizes self-reliance as young readers anticipate their first separation from home. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: July 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5351-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2007
One of the watershed moments in African-American history—the defeat of James Braddock at the hands of Joe Louis—is here given an earnest picture-book treatment. Despite his lack of athletic ability, Sammy wants desperately to be a great boxer, like his hero, getting boxing lessons from his friend Ernie in exchange for help with schoolwork. However hard he tries, though, Sammy just can’t box, and his father comforts him, reminding him that he doesn’t need to box: Joe Louis has shown him that he “can be the champion at anything [he] want[s].” The high point of this offering is the big fight itself, everyone crowded around the radio in Mister Jake’s general store, the imagined fight scenes played out in soft-edged sepia frames. The main story, however, is so bent on providing Sammy and the reader with object lessons that all subtlety is lost, as Mister Jake, Sammy’s father, and even Ernie hammer home the message. Both text and oil-on-canvas-paper illustrations go for the obvious angle, making the effort as a whole worthy, but just a little too heavy-handed. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 2004
ISBN: 1-58430-161-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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
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