A simple story with visual appeal and a well-crafted message.
A lonely little kitchen pot doesn’t know what to do with his lid-rattling emotions in Ghosh Ippen’s picture book.
Little Pott, a small cooking pan, wants to be like his father, Holdin Pott, a stoic pressure cooker, who says, “Sadness, anger, I keep ’em inside / along with tears I never cried. / At times I fear I’ll overflow, / but that’s my way, it’s what I know.” Little Pott tries hard to contain his own sorrow and rage when he’s bullied by other pots and pans, but the heat of his emotions reaches the boiling point, and the explosive result leaves him frightened and confused. What will Holdin Pott do? Ghosh Ippen, a child psychologist specializing in childhood trauma, has created multiple gentle and thoughtful picture books informed by her clinical work and practice, including Once I Was Very Very Scared (2018) and You Weren’t With Me (2019). Readers should know that her messages are for parents, too: Here, Holdin Pott looks beyond Little Pott’s messy outburst, recognizing the need for his son to learn how to safely express his feelings and that he’s loved. Illustrator Ippen’s lively pots and pans, in stove and countertop settings, are an offbeat, expressive delight; each full-page, border-to-border image is well integrated with clear, rhyming text.
A simple story with visual appeal and a well-crafted message.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2019
ISBN: 9781950168064
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Piplo Productions
Review Posted Online: Nov. 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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