A reassuring and relatable message tailored to kids and delivered with endearing visual appeal.
In this picture book for preschoolers, a child views his daily life during the pandemic.
Vatner’s charming, read-aloud board book acknowledges that kids may feel unsettled as their familiar routines are disrupted by safety precautions against Covid-19. The rhythmic text offers them a comforting perspective about change. In the story, a Black child, pictured in artist Svenningsen’s whimsical scenes of daily life from morning to bedtime, reasons through how things are “sometimes” different day to day, depending on the circumstances. The boy accepts those variations even if he feels that “sometimes” can be a bit tiresome. “Sometimes it’s hot. Sometimes it’s cool,” the boy says, shown playing ball at the beach in the summer and skating in the winter. “Sometimes I walk,” he says, climbing the stairs, and “sometimes” he takes the elevator. “Sometimes” he travels by car or bus; “sometimes” learning happens at school or in front of a computer at home. When the boy can’t converse with friends or family in person, he notes, he talks to them on his phone. (A grandparent is pictured on a phone screen.) The author’s matter-of-fact approach and the simplicity of the text strike a soothing note. Svenningsen’s colorful illustrations depicting the boy’s family and diverse community are lively with small details for children to pore over. (The boy’s toy tiger and goofy pet dog can be spotted throughout the book, for instance.)
A reassuring and relatable message tailored to kids and delivered with endearing visual appeal.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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