A fun read, though its narrative may gratify adults more than children.
Enthusiastic Astrid prepares to be an astronaut while her father chases after her.
Organic lines and jewel tones warmly depict Astrid building spaceships, making astronaut food, and practicing floating in space. She counts stars to fall asleep, then finds herself on a planet populated by giant ETs. They’re too big for her to build them spaceships, so she blasts off to a planet that has tiny aliens instead. No success there either. In an arresting full-bleed illustration, starry sky blends into Astrid’s celestial bedspread as she wakes up back on Earth. Finally, she asks her dad for help, and he’s only too happy to assist her building, cooking, floating, and star-counting. In another striking double-page spread depicting them stargazing together, even her dad’s fuzzy sweater seems palpable. Astrid’s turtle pal appears frequently, never in its terrarium. Astrid, her father, and her discreetly pictured absent mother have brown skin and dark hair. One endmatter page offers informational paragraphs on space shuttles, astronaut food, and gravity, but this book aims to inspire more than educate. It’s confusing for the text to refer to rocket boosters and fuel tanks next to an illustrated retro-stylized spaceship that has neither. It’s downright incorrect to say that orbits happen “because of the way gravity works in space”; gravity works the same way in space as it does on Earth. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 91% of actual size.)
A fun read, though its narrative may gratify adults more than children. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63592-288-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
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
BOOK REVIEW
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