Tender and visually appealing, a child’s-eye appreciation of happy days and parental love.
In this debut picture book, a young boy recalls his favorite things, including what he loves the most.
Through a succession of beautifully illustrated pages in Carroll’s well-crafted tale, a Black boy tells of the many things that have brought him happiness throughout his childhood as he looks back year by year, all the way to age 1. Tucked into bed at night in his room, he examines a photo album with his mom, recounting in brief, rhyming text his lively memories and experiences, depicted in Slife’s full-page illustrations as photographs mounted haphazardly in the album with tape and stickers. “At 10,” the boy begins, “I loved experiments, / to play defense, / and camp in tents.” “At 9,” he continues, “I loved to climb real high, / pretend to fly, / and dip tie-dye.” Rich with saturated colors and quirky, eye-capturing details, each page features three to four images of the narrator in action as he counts down the years. He is shown fishing, rollerblading, riding a bike, and playing with friends. These activities give way to what his younger self loved: digging for bugs, baking with Grandma, impersonating a dinosaur, until, “At 1…I loved to find my nose, / and cuddle close, / and chew my toes.” With genuine warmth and a delightful sweetness, the story ends with the boy’s tribute to Mom’s place in his heart and a lump-in-the-throat-inducing twist, giving her the last, loving word.
Tender and visually appealing, a child’s-eye appreciation of happy days and parental love.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: The Orange Chair
Review Posted Online: Feb. 21, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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