A charming picture book with an inspiring message.
Creatures thank God and each other in this gorgeous children’s picture book.
In this debut, appropriate for infants through nursery school–age children, author Lashmit and illustrator Manning have struck gold. Bright, lush illustrations illuminate a repeated, simple, lullabylike message: “I know I am loved. / This you can truly see. / I know God in Heaven loves me.” As a flower thanks the sun, a bee thanks the flower; likewise, a bear thanks the bee, a fox thanks the bear, a bluebird thanks the fox, and so on. Each page features a different animal or plant repeating a sudden, joyful piece of knowledge: I am loved because the world shows me so. This singularly appealing story’s culminating event is a young girl’s triumphant exclamation. The book portrays a few simplistic natural relationships that bear little resemblance to actual biological ones (such as a kitten thanking a lamb for her wool), but others mimic ecological relationships well, such as a bear thanking bees for honey or a flower thanking the sun for shining. The linked chain of gratitude logically propels the story forward in a way that will likely satisfy adults as well as perceptive young ones. The story clearly endorses religious values, but secular-minded parents may also find that the book retains its power to reinforce children’s belief in their self-worth and the worth of creatures the world over. It’s possibly one of the most powerful messages a child can hear, and one that may be shared with even very young children. A cadence repeated to children often enough can become a song they sing to themselves, and this book’s soothing quality may help its message to become a lifelong mantra.
A charming picture book with an inspiring message.Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2012
ISBN: 978-1475013023
Page Count: 32
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An uneven depiction of how antisemitism manifests on social media and in real life.
Jewish siblings Theo and Annie Kaplan grapple with antisemitism in their middle school and society at large.
When soccer-obsessed Theo’s favorite player makes an antisemitic statement at a press conference, the ensuing social media spiral sickens Theo. His teammates’ dismissive reactions further unsettle the eighth grader. When someone draws a swastika on Theo’s locker, he initially suppresses his feelings before eventually lashing out. Sixth grader Annie responds to the controversy by lying to the school librarian, whom she adores: She’s wracked with guilt but uses a library computer to create an illicit social media account and jump right into the fray, rebutting the bigotry she sees online. The boisterous, white-presenting Kaplan family incorporates meaningful Jewish practices into their regular lives, although the authors’ depictions evoke some Jewish tropes, like the overbearing grandmother who must be covertly managed by other family members. Theo and Annie’s university professor parents pressure their children to stand up for themselves without offering much meaningful support. Using multiple first-person perspectives—including that of new kid Gabe, who’s mourning the loss of his mother to Covid-19—the authors maintain a quick pace even as both siblings reach a point of crisis. Theo and Annie remain likable and realistic in their behavior, but the characterization unfortunately struggles to keep pace with the action, leaving some of the emotions feeling abrupt and unearned.
An uneven depiction of how antisemitism manifests on social media and in real life. (Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781467196215
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Arcadia Children's Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations.
Bergren and Bryant attempt to explain Easter to young children in a gentle, nonthreatening manner, with partial success.
When Little Cub questions her father about Easter, Papa Bear explains the religious significance of the holiday in various symbolic ways to his cub. He uses familiar things from their world, such as an egg and a fallen tree, to draw parallels with aspects of the Christian story. Papa Bear discusses his close relationships with Jesus and God, encouraging Little Cub to communicate with God on her own. The theme focuses on the renewal of life and the positive aspects of loving God and Jesus. Easter is presented as a celebration of eternal life, but the story skirts the issue of the crucifixion entirely. Some adults will find this an inadequate or even dishonest approach to the Easter story, but others will appreciate the calm and soothing text as a way to begin to understand a difficult subject. Bryant’s charming watercolor illustrations of the polar bear family, their cozy home and snowy forest scenes add to the overall mellow effect.
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations. (Religion/picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-307-73072-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
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