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THE RED JACKET

Name: THE RED JACKET
Author: Bob Holt
ISBN: 9780063237605

by Bob Holt ; illustrated by Bob Holt ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 4, 2023

A delightful story of finding self-confidence and friends—and then paying it forward.

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A red jacket leads to big changes.

A small gray bird gives Bob, a sorrowful sea gull, a red jacket with fries in its pockets because it’s no longer needed. Bob is increasingly thrilled by the “swanky stylish” coat, which feels like “wearing a big hug,” and the jacket also inspires him to be outgoing and helpful. Crabs and flounders are astounded to see this side of Bob, and when he returns to the undifferentiated flock, they greet him enthusiastically. Oblivious to a wave about to descend, Bob is spun in the undertow. When he washes up on the beach with the other detritus, the jacket is gone. Bob is on the brink of returning to his depressed state. Then his many pals find and return the jacket. Bob realizes that he has “so many friends, even without my swanky red jacket.” He happily puts it back on, but then, as a mournful turtle trudges by, he offers the jacket, because “I no longer need it,” and the turtle visibly perks up. The speech bubbles are in clear, large letters, the jacket’s red pop brightens the pages along with red and blue crabs and the blue sea, and the animals, drawn in cartoon style, are entirely personable. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A delightful story of finding self-confidence and friends—and then paying it forward. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 4, 2023

ISBN: 9780063237605

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE UNLUCKY KID
by Bob Holt ; illustrated by Bob Holt

- BOOK REVIEW
LET'S TACO ABOUT HOW GREAT YOU ARE
by Bob Holt ; illustrated by Bob Holt

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BETTER THAN A TOUCHDOWN

by Jalen Hurts ; illustrated by Nneka Myers ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2026

Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown.

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In Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Hurts’ motivational picture book, a youngster rebounds from disappointment.

As Jalen heads off on his first day of school, he daydreams about joining the football team, but his friend Trey soon breaks the bad news. The garden club needed more space for vegetables, so the football field was used for planting. There will be no football this year. Jalen is despondent, but his teachers Mrs. Lee and Mr. Barry and bodega owner Mr. Muhammad offer guidance that spurs him and his friends into positive action. They work to flip a nearby empty lot into a football field, with Jalen echoing his mentors’ adages. Once the field is complete, Jalen feels a swell of pride in his and his friends’ work. While the idea of kids working together to effect change is a laudable one, the bland, wordy storytelling won’t inspire young people or hold their attention. Tired, cliched inspirational comments peppered throughout often slow down the narrative, and many adult readers will find the premise—a school dropping a high-interest sports program in favor of a community garden—wildly unrealistic. Though the illustrations are colorful, with a Disney Junior charm, strange stylistic choices, such as signs with odd combinations of scribbles instead of letters, give them an unpolished look. Like Hurts, Jalen is Black; his community is diverse.

Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 10, 2026

ISBN: 9798217040308

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Flamingo Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

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BEST BUNNY BROTHER EVER

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 6, 2026

A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.

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Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.

Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.

A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)