Comforting for the timid, empowering for the anxious, affirming for students and teachers alike.
Every group of students is special.
“In this classroom,” begins each line of Hacket’s gentle list, serving as both promise and invitation at the beginning of a school year. “There is room for everyone,” declares the narrator. “We will be imperfect....This is how we’ll learn.” Illustrator Lin’s lively students, 10 vividly colored shapes with arms, legs, and animated faces, are set against a grayscale backdrop—tables and desks, a chalkboard, a playground. Some of the youngsters have worried looks, others enthusiastic ones. They are recognizable as individuals, lending an endearing thread of story to the narrative: “We will disagree. Because our opinions are beautifully different. Unique like our bodies, our names, our beliefs.” The bright blue teacher is taller than the rest and sports a tie, a mop of purple hair, glasses, and a friendly expression. The language is respectful, pitched to young listeners, who will be able to understand and remember the implicit reassurance of community as well as the concrete expectation of success; little ones will also see themselves in at least one of the colorful characters. An author’s note provides suggestions for teachers on ways to use the book. This offering will be great for classroom use as well as for children wondering about an upcoming school experience.
Comforting for the timid, empowering for the anxious, affirming for students and teachers alike. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 9, 2026
ISBN: 9781636551814
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Red Comet Press
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world.
Be a “somebody” who makes a difference!
A Black child witnesses various transgressions over the course of a day. Noticing trash on the walk to the bus stop, the young narrator thinks, “Somebody should do something about that.” Two students push their way ahead of everyone else in order to get good seats on the school bus, prompting the child to muse, “Somebody should speak up about that.” Throughout the day, the child notices examples of bullying and unfairness. These seemingly minor infractions start mounting. Finally, when the protagonist’s teacher tells the students that it’s snack time, the narrator notices that some students don’t have anything to eat. Instead of wishing for a “somebody,” the perceptive pupil realizes, “I am Somebody” and shares food with the others. The epiphany doesn’t stop there. When the narrator arrives home and notices there are toys everywhere but Mom is on a work call, the child responds to Mom’s request for help by cleaning up the mess. Accompanied by simple yet expressive illustrations, this is a loving and much-needed story that encourages kids to make a difference; pair it with Joshunda Sanders’ I Can Write the World (2019), illustrated by Charly Palmer. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780762480517
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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