A smart, funny kids’ tale about standing up for one’s choices.
A little girl causes dismay in a kingdom by refusing a royally mandated treat in Jeanneret’s picture book for children.
The Law of Birthdays says that every child must have cake on the king’s birthday. One girl’s polite refusal of a slice, even when offered extra frosting and sprinkles, causes consternation in the royal court. She won’t even pretend to eat it, when asked, so a guard takes her to see the king, who’s just digging into his own slice. “I’m vegan,” the girl announces, adding that too much sugar would make her “start bouncing all over.” Questioning the law’s absurdity, she asks the monarch to imagine if the Law of Birthdays required “no cake.” A final twist, underscoring the message, is a hoot. This enjoyably quirky and well-conceived picture book delivers a meaningful moral to its young audience about being true to oneself. In Kondra’s delightful full-page and spot illustrations—featuring expressive, diverse cartoon-style characters and humorous touches—the king’s piece of cake is bigger than he is, and the pale-skinned girl, with wild red hair and a variety of bold reactions, is the picture of independence. Included for adults are suggestions for encouraging critical thinking and information about factors that contribute to food-related choices.
A smart, funny kids’ tale about standing up for one’s choices.Pub Date: May 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781945369438
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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