No rotten bananas here.
The Food Is Fun Healthy Eating Good Nutrition Pageant is great…unless you are the Second Banana.
All 15 of Mrs. Millet’s students are excited each year for the pageant. Each gets to play a different healthy food, but this year there are 16 students. When everyone is assigned a role, it turns out there will be two bananas. The narrator is not pleased. This kid wants to be the only banana. Mrs. Millet is consoling, but she doesn’t understand. And the little Second Banana’s family doesn’t even sympathize—they just make banana puns. The class rehearses all month long, and throughout, the Second Banana fumes at getting only half a line and half as much time on stage! Two days before the pageant, the kid realizes that First Banana doesn’t seem happy either. It turns out First Banana doesn’t want to be onstage at all. Second Banana tries to cheer up First, but to no avail. Thinking fast, the narrator has a bright idea for a new show finale and ends up with a new friend. Thornburgh’s school story about making the best of a less-than-optimal situation and showing kindness and empathy for a new friend will ap-peel (sorry) to young readers and listeners, who will easily identify. Berube’s expressive cartoons are a good match—those food costumes are pretty funny. Both bananas have pale skin, Mrs. Millet is a woman of color, and the rest of the class is diverse and includes one child who uses a wheelchair. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.3-by-18.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 83.5% of actual size.)
No rotten bananas here. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4234-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts.
Ohtani, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, teams up with Blank and Liem to tell the story of how his dog, Decoy, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
It’s a big day! Decoy leaps “off the bed. Then back onto the bed. Then off the bed.” The enthusiastic pup heads outside to practice with his lucky baseball but is quickly distracted by squirrels (“we’ll play later!”), airplanes (“flyin’ high!”), and flowers (“smell ya soon!”). Dog and pitcher then head to the ballpark. In the locker room, Decoy high-paws Shohei’s teammates. It’s nearly time! But as Shohei prepares to warm up, Decoy realizes that he’s forgotten something important: his lucky ball. Without it, there will be “no championships, no parades, and no hot dogs!” Back home he goes, returning just in time. With Shohei at the plate, Decoy runs from the mound to his owner, rolling the ball into Shohei’s mitt for a “Striiiiike!” Related from a dog’s point of view, Ohtani and Blank’s energetic text lends the tale a sense of urgency and suspense. Liem’s illustrations capture the excitement of the first day of baseball season and the joys of locker room camaraderie, as well as Shohei and Decoy’s mutual affection—even when the ball is drenched in slobber, Shohei’s love for his pet shines through, and clearly, Decoy is focused when it matters.
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063460775
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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
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