A lovely introduction to a cultural experience and the joy of finding one’s own dance.
Dance with the ancestors at the Obon festival!
A child of Japanese descent dons a peach kimono and yellow obi; red paper flowers festoon the young narrator’s hair. Our protagonist is excited to attend the Obon festival with Grandpa Jo. But once the child sees him joining the other dancers, who move smoothly and easily, the little one feels clumsy: “The song races, yet my feet drag….I bump into the dancer next to me.” The youngster wants to flee. Then Grandpa Jo explains that the festival celebrates deceased ancestors by incorporating aspects of their lives into the steps and movements (“These are our ancestors working in coal mines, and cane fields, and rice fields”). Remembering Grandma Nat, the child is resolved to try again and leads Grandpa Jo in dance, finding a sense of rhythm and choreography, immersed in taiko drum beats, the smell of food, and glowing lanterns all around. Uyemura’s prose pulses with the rhythms of the Obon festival, alternating narrative text with shorter, staccato words and phrases for immersive effect. Matsushita-Beal’s illustrations are loose and expressive, relying on soft lines and a warm palette to evoke the experience. Earthen reds join indigo blues and golden yellows across spreads that sweep and sway with the drumbeats of the story.
A lovely introduction to a cultural experience and the joy of finding one’s own dance. (author’s note, references) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 24, 2026
ISBN: 9780823452200
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
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
BOOK REVIEW
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.
Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
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