A poignant story woven with a reminder that no matter how far we journey, family is always with us.
A father tells his six children about his journey from Iran to a new life in America.
Baba gave each of his children a middle name from his homeland. As they look at the moon from their home in California, Baba remembers the moon that illuminated his nights as a boy in Iran. As he dances with his children on the beautiful floral Persian carpet—the one his mother packed in his big suitcase when he left for America—the young narrator asks him about his home in Iran. Tracing “the swirling indigo and pomegranate colors of the carpet,” Baba tells them about the lush gardens, loving neighbors, warm summer nights, and family walks after dinner beneath the moon. Though he adored his home, he was curious about the rest of the world. When asked why he didn’t teach them Farsi, Baba is honest, revealing, “It was too painful. The language reminded me of all I left behind.” The authors deftly capture both the hardship of leaving home and the opportunities Baba gained as he became a doctor. The choice to focus on the Persian carpet is inspired; Taherian’s vibrant cut-paper collages show the floral patterns from the carpet extending and surrounding the characters, complementing the text and conveying Baba’s love for his children, Iran, and his family. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A poignant story woven with a reminder that no matter how far we journey, family is always with us. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-63217-323-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
Lovely illustrations wasted on this misguided project.
The Celebrate the World series spotlights Lunar New Year.
This board book blends expository text and first-person-plural narrative, introducing readers to the holiday. Chau’s distinctive, finely textured watercolor paintings add depth, transitioning smoothly from a grand cityscape to the dining room table, from fantasies of the past to dumplings of the present. The text attempts to provide a broad look at the subject, including other names for the celebration, related cosmology, and historical background, as well as a more-personal discussion of traditions and practices. Yet it’s never clear who the narrator is—while the narrative indicates the existence of some consistent, monolithic group who participates in specific rituals of celebration (“Before the new year celebrations begin, we clean our homes—and ourselves!”), the illustrations depict different people in every image. Indeed, observances of Lunar New Year are as diverse as the people who celebrate it, which neither the text nor the images—all of the people appear to be Asian—fully acknowledges. Also unclear is the book’s intended audience. With large blocks of explication on every spread, it is entirely unappealing for the board-book set, and the format may make it equally unattractive to an older, more appropriate audience. Still, readers may appreciate seeing an important celebration warmly and vibrantly portrayed.
Lovely illustrations wasted on this misguided project. (Board book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3303-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
A delightful story of love and hope.
Families are formed everywhere—including large metropolitan mass-transit systems!
Baby Kevin, initially known as “Danny ACE Doe,” was found in the New York City’s 14th Street subway station, which serves the A-C-E lines, by one of his future fathers, Danny. Kevin’s other father, Pete (author Mercurio), serves as the narrator, explaining how the two men came to add the newborn to their family. Readers are given an abridged version of the story from Danny and Pete’s point of view as they work to formally adopt Kevin and bring him home in time for Christmas. The story excels at highlighting the determination of loving fathers while still including realistic moments of hesitation, doubt, and fear that occur for new and soon-to-be parents. The language is mindful of its audience (for example using “piggy banks” instead of “bank accounts” to discuss finances) while never patronizing young readers. Espinosa’s posterlike artwork—which presents the cleanest New York readers are ever likely to see—extends the text and makes use of unexpected angles to heighten emotional scenes and moments of urgency. The diversity of skin tones, ages, and faces (Danny and Pete both present white, and Kevin has light brown skin) befits the Big Apple. Family snapshots and a closing author’s note emphasize that the most important thing in any family is love. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.3-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 43% of actual size.)
A delightful story of love and hope. (Informational picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-525-42754-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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