A beautifully illustrated children’s guide to the intricacies of AI that celebrates the wonders of being human.
Lopez and Ulloa’s colorful primer teaches kids how to safely integrate AI into their internet experience while continuously emphasizing the importance of thinking for yourself.
Through the adventures of an unnamed narrator, young readers explore the wondrous things that artificial intelligence can do—as well as the uniquely human things that it cannot. Each page uses specialized terminology to tackle the different ways in which humanness is ultimately superior to AI (only humans have “The Feelings Detector” and “The Right-and-Wrong Radar”). Each topic is presented via bullet points or in short paragraphs; the bite-sized chunks of information are accompanied by Hassam’s colorful illustrations of kids and assorted robots (representing AI). Occasional exercises, such thinking of “three things in your house that use computer brains,” add an interactive element. The authors also instruct readers on remaining safe and smart when encountering AI: “If a computer brain says something silly…or tells you to do something that doesn’t feel right, STOP and THINK!” Every few pages, the text offers an additional tip from the “Safety Hero,” such as a reminder that computers “are built to grab [your] attention and never let go.” Lopez and Ulloa have crafted a practical, thought-provoking manual for kids on a topic that is likely at the forefront of parents’ minds. They make their points in a fun and engaging way by using child-friendly vocabulary and breaking up subjects into small pieces—helping adults ease into a discussion for which, due to the newness of the technology, there is little to no guidance. The illustrations, with their short, choppy lines and plenty of shading that gives all of the diverse cast a joyful and dynamic sense of movement, complement the narrative. This combination—of a visually sumptuous feast and highly pertinent subject matter—is a superb pairing that teaches kids skills in a relatively new field through engaging instructions and compelling images.
A beautifully illustrated children’s guide to the intricacies of AI that celebrates the wonders of being human.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9798293306459
Page Count: 41
Publisher: Strange Attraction Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 5, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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