Sweetly affirming and quietly clever.
One mild, sunny day, a town slowly awakens.
“Empty sidewalks doze. / Tree boughs gently sway. / Main Street blinks awake, quiet, still, and gray.” Minimally detailed, purplish drawings of two-story houses with subtle facial features move across the gutter in the foreground, while in the background, yellow sunbeams shine down on trash bins with sleepy smiles. “Soft light slowly spreads, / bin by sleepy bin. / Flag scoots up the pole. / Produce van pulls in.” Bailey’s text continues its easy rhythm and rhyme, combining charming whimsy such as a lamppost standing up straight and eggs that “scramble onto plates” with realistic, everyday events including workers opening shops, cleaning clock faces, and scrubbing sewer covers. Onward to flowers that “primp and preen” (Bailey makes rich use of vocabulary) and street market tents that smile! Lee’s naïve artwork perfectly complements the verse, planting subtle smiles on all manner of things living and nonliving. Keen observers of the art will notice a ubiquitous red cat that’s finally called out in the text toward the end. A diverse human population appears throughout; a bird’s-eye view of the town square is especially noteworthy. This book is best shared in an intimate setting so readers can spend time poring over the illustrations—crucial to the appreciation of the warm, lulling words.
Sweetly affirming and quietly clever. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2025
ISBN: 9781454948551
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world.
Be a “somebody” who makes a difference!
A Black child witnesses various transgressions over the course of a day. Noticing trash on the walk to the bus stop, the young narrator thinks, “Somebody should do something about that.” Two students push their way ahead of everyone else in order to get good seats on the school bus, prompting the child to muse, “Somebody should speak up about that.” Throughout the day, the child notices examples of bullying and unfairness. These seemingly minor infractions start mounting. Finally, when the protagonist’s teacher tells the students that it’s snack time, the narrator notices that some students don’t have anything to eat. Instead of wishing for a “somebody,” the perceptive pupil realizes, “I am Somebody” and shares food with the others. The epiphany doesn’t stop there. When the narrator arrives home and notices there are toys everywhere but Mom is on a work call, the child responds to Mom’s request for help by cleaning up the mess. Accompanied by simple yet expressive illustrations, this is a loving and much-needed story that encourages kids to make a difference; pair it with Joshunda Sanders’ I Can Write the World (2019), illustrated by Charly Palmer. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780762480517
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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