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GABI'S IF/THEN GARDEN

Name: GABI'S IF/THEN GARDEN
Author: Caroline Karanja
ISBN: 978-1-5158-3445-8

by Caroline Karanja ; illustrated by Ben Whitehouse ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2018

An accessible but somewhat underdeveloped introduction to coding for the younger set.

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If it’s 2018, then the kids must be coding.

This bright and cheery picture book introduces young readers to coding concepts through garden planting and backyard play. Two girls named Adi and Gabi learn about if/then statements through naturally occurring conditions and outcomes, such as: “If the weather is dry, then they water the plants.” Karanja touches lightly on what happens when the computer is not given the right instructions with a Simon Says–like game and progresses to a playful explanation of debugging. Exercises help readers test their understanding, and a glossary explains the computer science terms. While the author’s approach is simple and easy to understand, it seems like an odd choice to start with conditional statements without mentioning more basic concepts such as breaking down big tasks into smaller steps, sequencing instructions, etc. The treatment of conditionals is itself incomplete since “else” statements are never mentioned. And without the scaffolding of a real problem that needs solving, the concepts carry little weight. Adi and her mother are brown-skinned with dark curls, while Gabi has lighter skin and straight hair.

An accessible but somewhat underdeveloped introduction to coding for the younger set. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5158-3445-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Picture Window Books

Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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THE NIGHT IS YOURS

by Abdul-Razak Zachariah ; illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2019

Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children.

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On hot summer nights, Amani’s parents permit her to go outside and play in the apartment courtyard, where the breeze is cool and her friends are waiting.

The children jump rope to the sounds of music as it floats through a neighbor’s window, gaze at stars in the night sky, and play hide-and-seek in the moonlight. It is in the moonlight that Amani and her friends are themselves found by the moon, and it illumines the many shades of their skin, which vary from light tan to deep brown. In a world where darkness often evokes ideas of evil or fear, this book is a celebration of things that are dark and beautiful—like a child’s dark skin and the night in which she plays. The lines “Show everyone else how to embrace the night like you. Teach them how to be a night-owning girl like you” are as much an appeal for her to love and appreciate her dark skin as they are the exhortation for Amani to enjoy the night. There is a sense of security that flows throughout this book. The courtyard is safe and homelike. The moon, like an additional parent, seems to be watching the children from the sky. The charming full-bleed illustrations, done in washes of mostly deep blues and greens, make this a wonderful bedtime story.

Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: July 2, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-525-55271-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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PILLOWLAND

by Laurie Berkner ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2017

For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands.

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Berkner’s children’s song gets the picture-book treatment with illustrations from Garoche.

What kid hasn’t made a massive pillow fort and imagined all sorts of adventures? Well, Berkner’s premise is that there is a land where everything is made of pillows, and three lucky children get to visit there. (They appear to be siblings, perhaps a blended family: Mom and one girl are black; Dad, one boy, and one girl are white.) The illustrations transition between depictions of obvious imaginative play in a bedroom to a fantasy world and back again at the end, when the parents peek in at the three asleep. Garoche’s art consists of photos of papercut artwork arranged in dioramas with some Photoshop details. Reminiscent of Michael Garland’s work (though more pastel in color) or that of Elly McKay (though less ethereal), the illustrations are a mixed bag, with layers and hard edges juxtaposed against all the pillows. The king and queen of the song are obviously stand-ins for the parents. Children who know the tune may not sit still for a reading, while those who don’t may wonder at the repeated refrain.

For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands. (Picture book. 3-7)