A powerful primer on citizenship.
Musician Di Franco and illustrator Baker emphasize the significance of doing one’s civic duty in this story of a Black mother and child heading to the polls.
It’s Election Day, and despite the terrible weather this November day, Mama has a “very important job.” Accompanied by her young child, who narrates, Mama sets out to cast a ballot. Mama and her little one line up, enter a booth, and pull the curtain. Mama makes her selections, while the child pushes the buttons. Di Franco’s language reflects the magnitude of the day while remaining accessible to curious readers. The youngster’s pride and sense of belonging are palpable as Mama explains why everyone votes (to “have a say / about laws and rules / about parks and schools / about who’s gonna run them / and in what way”). The well-deployed internal and end rhymes make for a read-along as whimsical as it is civic-minded. Baker’s thickly outlined, earth-toned artwork is charmingly realistic, with a pleasingly retro vibe. Author and illustrator portray the electoral process as simultaneously familiar, momentous, and joyous. As our narrator identifies the ways voting can connect us to the people in our communities and beyond, the illustrations depict a whole world of diverse faces and engaged, smiling citizens. Sporting their “I voted” stickers, mother and child return home that evening, thoughtfully aware that voting is “how it all starts.”
A powerful primer on citizenship. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9780593383773
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics.
An angry child attempts to calm down.
A kid with paper-white skin, clad in a blue dress and striped tights, makes an absurd request: “Can we get a pet penguin, name it Marshmallow, and feed it carrots?” Mom, off-stage, says simply, “Not today,” and the tot transforms into a rather odd creature: a spicy nugget! The nugget is imperfectly ovoid in form, with red rosy cheeks, rage-filled dot-eyes, and a spiraling black-hole mouth. The sight gag works beautifully: When one feels truly angry, all poise disappears, leaving only a flailing ball of rage. Our protagonist hurls a teddy bear, unsuccessfully tries out a list of calming methods, and finally retreats to bed, where “I can feel my breathing; I know that I am safe.” The youngster reverts back to human form, and Mom arrives with kind words: “You are not your big feelings. You are not your angry thoughts.” The takeaway is unmistakable, especially at the story’s conclusion: It’s OK to get mad and important to practice coping strategies. The young narrator expresses emotion with fabulous vigor, though the story’s lilting rhyme scheme occasionally distracts from these outbursts with cuteness. Nonetheless, this increasingly enraged nugget-child is irresistible; anyone who’s grappled with overwhelming emotions will relate—in a word, everyone.
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798217042142
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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