Although the book doesn’t cover new ground, the playful language and images will interest young readers who also face...
A lighthearted, rhyming celebration of twins.
Expressive illustrations depict wide-eyed identical and fraternal twins in patterned clothes and with varying skin hues and types of hair. Ashburn, a mother of twins, uses bouncy rhymes to describe the relationships between these twins. Being a twin has built-in benefits: Two laps are just the right size for holding a book; there’s always a partner for games (and shenanigans!); and sometimes a gesture or look is all that’s needed to understand each other. But being a twin also has its disadvantages: Twins always have to share (especially birthdays and colds!), take turns, and wait. There’s plenty of comparing, competing, and debating, too. The author circles back, however, to the unique bond that twins possess. “A twin is to hug. Or to kiss! / Or to shove. // It’s all about balance. It’s all about love.” Preschoolers may not understand the metaphorical meaning of “balance,” but they’ll enjoy the visual of a seesaw with a mother on one side and twin boys balancing the other side together. One image, of black-haired, brown-skinned twin girls with flowers in their hair, resorts to stereotyping to indicate diversity, clothing them in grass skirts.
Although the book doesn’t cover new ground, the playful language and images will interest young readers who also face sibling ups and downs. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3158-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
Despite the glittering images, this story is a bit lackluster.
In singer Amerie’s picture-book debut, a biracial child goes on a magical adventure, with ancestors rooting them on.
Full-bleed spreads depict a dark-skinned infant being nurtured by a Black- and Korean-coded family and growing into an energetic youngster with light brown locs and a high fade. As the family sits down to a meal, the protagonist wanders off, their eye caught by an old photograph of a smiling, Black ancestor in overalls. When the child reaches out toward the picture, they fly through the frame and emerge in a jewel-toned forest. The woods are full of glowing, dancing Black and Asian ancestors. Accompanied by rhyming, inspirational text, the narrative winds along with the jubilant kid as they dance through the trees, chase an otherworldly white creature, ride a fiery bird (perhaps inspired by the Samjok-o from Korean mythology), and meet a person in a Korean hanbok before returning home. Younger readers may enjoy the singsong words alongside illustrator Figueroa’s colorful, dreamlike art, but overall, the narrative feels somewhat unstructured and unsatisfying. Platitudes like “You will do big things / That just might change the world. // And you will do small things / That may help one boy or girl” are too timeworn to stand out, and the youngster’s hop from one supernatural montage to the next is more dizzying than enchanting. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Despite the glittering images, this story is a bit lackluster. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81702-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Grandmothers with both guts and glamour are sadly underrepresented; these Glam-mas will win lots of fans. (Picture book. 3-6)
Grandmas come in all shapes, sizes, and races in this up-to-date portrait of grandmothers as young-at-heart, active participants in the lives of their grandchildren.
The story begins with an introduction to different names for grandmothers, including Abuela, Bubbe, and Oma before introducing Glam-ma—a term that may need further explanation beyond the text for some children, as “glamorous” isn’t a term in regular use by the intended audience. Different grandmas are introduced interacting with grandchildren in all sorts of activities ranging from dress-up play and cooking to karate class and attending a rock concert. The implication in the brief, bouncy text is that attitude is everything and that all these grandmothers are hip, happy, and healthy. Some of the grandmas are quite young, unusual in children’s books but a demographically realistic depiction, while others have gray or white hair (but nary a wrinkle). Characters with a wide range of skin tones are represented, including a cover illustration of a white grandma playing dress-up with her brown-skinned grandchildren. One grandmother uses a wheelchair and two use canes, though the canes don’t seem to be actually needed for support but rather for artistic effect. Bright, appealing watercolor illustrations are filled with expressive faces, lots of motion, and clever details for kids to find.
Grandmothers with both guts and glamour are sadly underrepresented; these Glam-mas will win lots of fans. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-15183-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
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BOOK REVIEW
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