bookshelf

WHAT IF YOU WISH?

Name: WHAT IF YOU WISH?
Author: Anne Appert
ISBN: 9780063036130

by Anne Appert ; illustrated by Anne Appert ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024

Strong art, muddled writing.

bookshelf

A child experiences the joy of imagination and the darkness of doubt.

A nameless character with pigtails and bangs, freckles, skin the color of the page, and a tunic top over leggings slips through a broken chain-link fence and makes a wish on a dandelion. The world bursts from black and white into color as the child flies through a dreamscape, but darkness and monsters menace, hues darken and fade to dark gray (“Doubt lingers”), and the protagonist returns to Earth, alone. But a bright little yellow star spreads its glow, colors and a sense of wonder return, and the child sails through a seascape, through the sky, and into outer space. Appert’s art, which looks like watercolor but was digitally created, carries the story entirely; this could easily have been a wordless book, like JonArno Lawrence’s Sidewalk Flowers (2015), illustrated by Sydney Smith, and maybe it should have been. The text is vague and metaphorical, addressing topics such as wishes and worries, dreams and doubts, possibilities and promises—possibly too abstract for younger children to understand, although the art provides a wonderful opportunity for conversations around social-emotional learning topics such as worry, uncertainty, and hope. Appert’s use of color effectively shifts the tone and mood throughout, and young readers may want to share their own stories of wishing on dandelions and stars.

Strong art, muddled writing. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 5, 2024

ISBN: 9780063036130

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
LOCH NESS MONSTER'S UNBELIEVABLE SCIENCE
by Anne Appert ; illustrated by Anne Appert

- BOOK REVIEW
BLOB
by Anne Appert ; illustrated by Anne Appert

bookshelf

WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

bookshelf

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

bookshelf

ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

bookshelf

Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)