A gentle and playful celebration of difference and self-discovery.
A square who loves to roll instead of build surprises his community with his new talent and gains confidence in himself.
In Sam the square’s world of shapes, everyone has a job to do. Stable squares like Sam help construct towers and bridges, while speedy circles zoom from place to place as wheels on trains and trucks. Dissatisfied with his role in life, Sam decides to try something bold. He learns to roll and discovers joy by being himself. Debut author Jackson uses the familiar concept of shapes as a metaphor to discuss difference and identity. Bright and active digital illustrations accompany the text, expressing Sam’s love for movement. Although the initial language that Sam doesn’t “feel like a square” despite his “four pointy corners” paired with a depiction of Sam as a circle inside a square suggests a born-in-the-wrong-body narrative, Sam ultimately claims his shape and finds his own way to label himself. His corners become subtly rounder after the first time he rolls. In contrast to similar titles, such as Michael Hall’s Red: A Crayon’s Story (2015), Sam’s community encourages his behavior. The other shapes are excited to see a square roll, and the circles welcome him into rolling jobs. This positive support strengthens the underlying message that exploring identity and self-expression brings happiness.
A gentle and playful celebration of difference and self-discovery. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62414-770-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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