A joyful, nuanced book that encourages STEAM problem-solving skills.
A slew of problems at the beach are no match for artist and inventor Amelia in Odusanya’s illustrated children’s book.
Amelia loves to make art anywhere,with anything she can find. She approaches a family trip to the beach as a big opportunity to be creative, but obstacles seem to keep popping up. When she arrives at the shore, she immediately scouts out “loose parts,” such as shells and seaweed lying on the ground. She also finds a robin’s egg, tucked under a leaf. The nest from which it fell is too high for her to reach, and she’s worried she can’t help. “Maybe so,” her father says, “but ideas are inside of you, and solutions are all around you. You just have to find them.” Encouraged, Amelia builds a nest of her own for the egg. Before she can get back to her original creative mission, she finds a fish trapped in an apparent tidal pool. Careful planning and positive self-talk lead her to dig a canal lined with rocks for the fish to swim back into the ocean. Finally, as Amelia prepares to relax, a boy needs help building a sandcastle. The two children work together to build a delightful structure until it’s time to return home, but that doesn’t stop Amelia from bringing a little bit of the beach back with her. Odusanya’s second installment in the Amelia’s Loose Part Art series, after its eponymous debut in 2023, effectively models basic problem-solving and social-emotional skills in a setting involving science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM). Amelia’s insecurities and her passion for her art are relatable, and she provides tongue-in-cheek names for her creations, such as “Follow the Rocky Brick Road.” Medonza’s brightly colored cartoon illustrations are fully integrated with the text and work well together, much like Amelia and the boy that she befriends. The images portray Amelia with tan skin and curly brown hair; other characters have a range of skin tones. Instructions for various creative activities are included at the book’s end.
A joyful, nuanced book that encourages STEAM problem-solving skills.Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9781739007041
Page Count: -
Publisher: Sunshine and Rain Co.
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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