A positive, inspirational message for children to lean on and into.
Singer/songwriter Withers’ encouraging lyrics form the text of this upbeat picture book.
The late musician’s supportive song, released in 1972, is the backdrop to a story about a quartet of racially diverse young friends sharing various life experiences. The kids explore the outdoors, go camping, and share life events—some happy, some less so—occasionally with parents. The book makes clear that supportive friendship, or “leaning on,” is mutual: “Lean on me / When you’re not strong / And I’ll be your friend / I’ll help you carry on… / For it won’t be long / Till I’m gonna need / Somebody to lean on.” It’s clear everyone needs help now and then and that it isn’t a sign of weakness to reach out for assistance. As the book proceeds, the illustrations subtly depict the foursome becoming adolescents who still care about one another. The cartoonish artwork is colorful and lively, though undistinguished. The nature of song lyrics is there’s a repetitive element to them, so these important words and the overarching messages about support, outreach, and the permanency of friendships are easy to recall, absorb, and, hopefully, emulate. Readers eager to hear Withers’ uplifting song will be pleased by the inclusion of a QR code that allows them to listen to it on platforms such as Spotify or Tidal. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A positive, inspirational message for children to lean on and into. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781636141091
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Akashic
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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