Handy’s few words speak volumes.
Featuring just a single word throughout, Handy’s latest picture book centers on a small boy with big feelings about his new balloon.
A Black adult and a toddler—presumably parent and son—are strolling through an unmistakable Central Park; he’s delighted by the orange balloon (“Balloon!”) that he’s just gotten from a park vendor. During an altercation with a pigeon, the boy involuntarily lets go of the balloon’s string and watches his treasured memento float away (“Balloon…”). As he and his parent continue their walk, the boy keeps mistakenly spotting his beloved possession (“Balloon?”): in an assembled crowd (the orange object is really a musician’s beanie), peeking out from behind some park denizens’ blanket (it’s actually an orange Frisbee), and so on. The last time the boy thinks he spies his balloon, it turns out to be the curved back of an orange kitten at a pet-adoption event. He accepts the kitty as a salve for his balloon-pining heart—his persistence has paid off!—but his loyalty compels him to honor his lost keepsake: “Balloon. That’s your name,” he tells the cat. Handy has nimbly blended a sweet story tailor-made for the tenderhearted with a Where’s Waldo?–esque activity suited to more fidgety types. Working with digitally tweaked pen and ink in blooming springtime colors, Kwon inserts the book’s visual game into invitingly bustling scenes that give the big city the feel of a communal gathering.
Handy’s few words speak volumes. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781797215044
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
Perfect for every underdog who wants to have a say.
A dog-loving child encourages a less-than-enthusiastic younger one to imagine they’re both canines.
From the first declaration—“I’d be a big dog! And you’d be a little one!”—readers know who’s calling the shots. Initially, the protagonists cavort off the page and through the neighborhood together, performing doggy capers such as tail wagging, stick carrying, and dirt digging. But by the time they encounter a multitude of like-minded creatures at the dog park, the disgruntled small pup is exhibiting out-and-out rebellion: “Being a dog is YOUR idea! Sometimes I HAVE IDEAS TOO!” The narrative wraps up with the younger child pretending to be a different animal entirely—cleverly foreshadowed through subtle details in the illustrations. Even the endpapers—lively silhouettes of dogs in the beginning and many different animals in closing—extend the theme to suggest the imaginative possibilities of pretend play. Cheerful, lightly hued colors fit the whimsical mood, while expressive body language allows the art to tell the story with a minimum of words. Ending on a surprising note, with a sweet compromise between the two main characters, the tale gives both kids the freedom to embrace their own preferences and styles—while still enjoying their game.
Perfect for every underdog who wants to have a say. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9780316581721
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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