A good choice for reluctant sleepers and their tired parents—though if it backfires, don’t blame the creators.
Ouchchy takes a common parental issue—children who don’t want to go to sleep—and situates it in a groundhog burrow on the eve of winter.
Little Tess may not want to hibernate, but her yawning parents surely do. Before they can rest, though, they need to get Tess to bed. The usual get-kids-to-sleep methods are prominently featured—tucking the little one in, reading stories, offering warm beverages, singing lullabies. Tess uses familiar excuses—she’s not tired, her toys need her, there’s too much to do to sleep. In the end, her parents’ reverse psychology seems to do the trick: You stay up, Tess. We’re going to bed. Tess thoughtfully tucks Mommy and Daddy in before the inevitable yawns and heavy eyelids make an appearance, and she finally succumbs. But will Tess’ hibernation procrastination mean she’ll miss Groundhog Day? Parents and children alike will find their book counterparts thoroughly relatable. Cleverly, the rhyming verses can serve to either excite or soothe little listeners, depending on how they’re read aloud (and how much oomph adults put into the sound effects). Kaduji’s groundhogs are wonderfully expressive, with the O of a mouth, characters’ downturned eyebrows, and (premature) parental high-fives speaking volumes. The relative lack of background details keeps the focus on the family.
A good choice for reluctant sleepers and their tired parents—though if it backfires, don’t blame the creators. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781250903228
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez,...
Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution?
The measured, evocative text describes how Mia’s español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela’s English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their “mouths [fill] with things to say.” The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, “with a sprinkling of digital magic.” They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously.
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6900-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
