Readers will go batty with joy!
There’s nothing like staying up late. Or staying up early.
Little Bat is curious about daytime. What is it like when the sun is in the sky, and what are the animals like that are awake during the day? Little Bat decides to stay awake after his family falls asleep and see daytime for himself. Although he is initially overwhelmed by the bright light and the noises of the daytime, echolocation helps Little Bat adjust to this new world and discover it’s the same as the dark one he’s used to living in. Saved from a hawk by a friendly squirrel named Rusty, Little Bat makes a friend and enlists her to help him stay awake to see the sunset. It’s a difficult job, though, because bats are meant to sleep all day. Little Bat realizes he’s not meant for diurnal life; the pair are able to maintain a friendship, however, by leaving notes in an old birdhouse that they convert into their own special clubhouse. The story’s plot flows smoothy, and Rusty is an adorable new addition to Little Bat’s world. Fans of Lies’ rich illustrations will be delighted with this latest bat book, and readers unfamiliar with the other books will marvel at the mixture of realism and humor captured in the richly hued acrylic, watercolor, and colored pencil art. Educators may find this a useful title if considering class pen pals or to help explain how various human communities use shared spaces in different ways. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Readers will go batty with joy! (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-35826-985-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
A spirited celebration of self-confidence and self-care.
A child with cerebral palsy describes how resting helps them to have fun.
Every morning, as Daddy combs Sam’s hair, Sam, a Black child sporting glasses, lists qualities they like about themselves. Today, Sam likes their dance skills, their eyes, and their fingers, which are slightly crooked on their right hand. But cerebral palsy makes Sam’s legs tired if they overdo things. And Sam has a busy day ahead: Mommy is taking them and their best friends, Sydney and Sarah, shopping for back-to-school clothes! Fortunately, Sam has a team of “super seats,” which she creatively anthropomorphizes, so she can rest up and join the fun. Misty, a couch named for ballerina Misty Copeland, is a partner for pirouetting and playing I Spy. And Laney, the back seat of Mommy’s car, tells hilarious jokes. At the mall, Sam and their supportive friends don clothes that make them feel strong and confident, and Sam “walk[s] the runway, limping with pride,” in adaptive clothing. As the day winds down, Sam declares that “being me is the best, and sometimes I need a little rest.” Brown offers a warmhearted, necessary affirmation of disability and self-love through a multifaceted, endearingly imaginative narrator. Miller’s bright cartoon illustrations radiate joy and affection; Sam’s grin is infectious. Sydney has light skin and curly brown hair; Sarah is Asian. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A spirited celebration of self-confidence and self-care. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-32389-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Full of humor and action, with easily recognizable emotions.
A nearly wordless graphic picture book illustrates the angst of a fledgling whose parent is determined to see it take its first flight.
The double-page spread encompassing the title page shows a small, comical bird sitting in a nest of twigs, dubiously eyeing a larger bird who flies above it with a facial expression of avian bliss. There follows a series of panels that show long-distance views of the larger bird gracefully landing in the nest occupied by, apparently, its progeny. The next double-page spread shows a single aerial view, with the little bird gazing far down to the earth. On the ensuing pages, the little bird exhibits high anxiety and clings to its parent with a large speech bubble that proclaims the titular “NOPE!” Over the course of the book, the little one—through pastel-tinged images in thought bubbles—imagines all the possible terrors it may encounter venturing from the nest, while its parent continues to encourage it to leave. There are occasional sound-effect words, such as “shake” and “flap,” and there is a full page of “no” in several different languages. Most of the story is told exclusively with the funny facial expressions and body language of two birds at cross purposes. The simple message is clear, and the humorous animals are foregrounded against pretty green and blue watercolor settings. Naturally, “nope” eventually changes to “yep.”
Full of humor and action, with easily recognizable emotions. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-101-99731-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2016
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