A delightfully important adventure for a very small person.
A routine but noteworthy event is seen through a preschooler’s eyes.
The perspective is literally that of the child narrator throughout: a view of chubby legs, round knees, and pale toes—and a pair of shoes. The unseen owner of the toes informs readers: “Mommy puts on my socks. / Mommy puts on my old shoes.” A chubby little hand points out the holes in the little green shoes into which a finger can fit, and the narrator observes (perhaps repeating Mommy’s concern), “Dirt could get in. Or water.” A grown-up hand holds the toddler’s as the walking surface changes: It’s a trip to the shoe store. “A man takes off my old shoes” and measures the sock-clad foot: “My feet / are bigger than before!” Readers then see a selection of new shoes, a small pointing finger, a couple of pairs tried on (first yellow, then red)—and, “I like them!” The narrator is eager to share the wonder of this new footwear with “Emma,” and on the final page, a pair of brown legs and small feet in bright blue shoes join our narrator’s familiar pink and white legs and small feet in (new) red shoes. Raschka’s loose line and bright watercolor-and-gouache edge-to-edge illustrations are lively and sweet, perfectly suited to his subject.
A delightfully important adventure for a very small person. (Picture book. 18 mos.-4)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-265752-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.
After being home-schooled for years, Auggie Pullman is about to start fifth grade, but he’s worried: How will he fit into middle school life when he looks so different from everyone else?
Auggie has had 27 surgeries to correct facial anomalies he was born with, but he still has a face that has earned him such cruel nicknames as Freak, Freddy Krueger, Gross-out and Lizard face. Though “his features look like they’ve been melted, like the drippings on a candle” and he’s used to people averting their eyes when they see him, he’s an engaging boy who feels pretty ordinary inside. He’s smart, funny, kind and brave, but his father says that having Auggie attend Beecher Prep would be like sending “a lamb to the slaughter.” Palacio divides the novel into eight parts, interspersing Auggie’s first-person narrative with the voices of family members and classmates, wisely expanding the story beyond Auggie’s viewpoint and demonstrating that Auggie’s arrival at school doesn’t test only him, it affects everyone in the community. Auggie may be finding his place in the world, but that world must find a way to make room for him, too.
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder. (Fiction. 8-14)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86902-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
PROFILES
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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