by Cindy Jin ; illustrated by Ella Bailey ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2022
Sweetly empowering.
A look at classroom jobs found in a preschool.
A sign posted on the bulletin board reads “VIP Week”—readers learn that VIP stands for “Very Important Preschooler.” Five diverse tots bask in the glory of their big responsibilities. A brown-skinned child is the greeter: “I wave and say hello / to each friend who walks in. / A bad morning mood / can always change with a grin.” Another brown-skinned child, this one using a wheelchair, is the line leader. “It’s my job to lead the class / and stay quiet in the halls. / I watch and wait and keep the pace / so that nobody falls.” The days of the week carry the narrative forward as each child describes their job. With oversize heads and wide, curious eyes, these young tots look eager to learn. Most images are cropped tight so there is not much school setting shown; readers never even see the teacher. But VIPs are encouraged to be kind and helpful, two important preschool (and human) readiness skills; this tale will reassure little ones, who often feel powerless, that they have much to offer: “We’re all VIPs in more ways than one— / there are many things you can do!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sweetly empowering. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: June 28, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-757-5
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
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by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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