by Coralie Saudo ; illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo ; translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick & Kris Di Giacomo ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2016
A tongue-in-cheek masterpiece echoing most parents’ outings with small children.
A young boy narrates a trip to the zoo with Dad, but who’s the kid and who’s the adult?
Readers get their first clue that this isn’t a standard parent-child picture book on the opening spread. No people are visible, but a Victrola’s horn sneaks through a door, startling the dog (and maybe readers) with a blaring: “everybody up! I want to go to the ZOO!” From then, it’s constant motion, the father doing his best galloping-camel imitation all the way to the zoo, his still-sleepy (and pajama-clad) son hanging on for dear life. By the third spread, readers will know that the roles of father and child are reversed. The longer the two wait in line for tickets, “the more ideas [Dad] has about how to cut the line.” Dad races around the enclosures with the boy lagging behind before having a meltdown over ice cream; these behaviors—and the child’s desperate attempts to distract Dad—will be quite familiar (and hysterical) to parents of small children. There’s even the final, most terrible ordeal: the gift shop! “The galloping camel has turned into a sluggish snail. And me? I’m wiped out.” Di Giacomo’s naively done illustrations in muted earth tones are quite unlike what’s normally found in bright, splashy picture books, but they fit this one perfectly, playing up the humor of a Dad who just can’t be still.
A tongue-in-cheek masterpiece echoing most parents’ outings with small children. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-59270-190-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
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by Coralie Saudo & illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
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by Géraldine Collet & illustrated by Coralie Saudo & translated by Sarah Quinn
by Phil Rosenthal & Lily Rosenthal ; illustrated by Luke Flowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
Amusing but misleading on the nutritional and behavioral fronts.
With one taste of despised mustard, a child pivots from rejecting new foods to seeking them.
Dad takes Lil to a food truck festival. Lil, who narrates the story, is nervous; this child’s list of acceptable foods is short (pizza, rice, grilled cheese, french fries, and vanilla ice cream). Dad loves varied tastes and repeatedly reminds Lil of his rule: “Just try it!” With a “YECCCH!” or an “EWWWWWW!” Lil refuses a bagel loaded with toppings, linguini with clams, Peking duck, pizza with spinach and garlic, and a pretzel covered with Lil’s most hated of foods: mustard. Frustrated, Lil accidentally knocks the pretzel onto Dad’s shirt. Lil apologizes, takes a lick of mustard…and instantly learns to appreciate every rejected offering. Lil then uses the title mantra to pressure Dad onto a nausea-inducing roller-coaster ride. Bright, cartoon-style illustrations emphasize the pair's upbeat mood. Food neophobia, or an aversion to eating anything novel, has complex psychosocial roots. But in this blithe little fable, the child’s resistance is completely overcome with a single accidental exposure, and the formerly picky eater immediately becomes a novelty seeker. The turnaround here is implausible; if this book creates any expectations of a sudden dramatic change in a child’s behavior, that would be a disservice. Both Dad and Lil are light-skinned.
Amusing but misleading on the nutritional and behavioral fronts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781665942638
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
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by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson
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