A rapturous reflection on community worth holding close to one’s heart.
Caring adults support a Muscogee child’s development.
Things start small in this beautiful picture book from Smith (Muscogee). As River gardens with his mother, Auntie Abbie comes to help. Auntie Vicki is his second grade teacher; yet another auntie takes him fishing. When Auntie Emma stops by his class to teach a Native history lesson, River declares, “It’s a good day to be Indigenous!” and the book’s full focus emerges. Aunties, by kin and by community, accompany River in moments of celebration—powwows and weddings—and solemnity as they consider personal loss and tragedies in both Black and Native history. The tale also marks the flow of seasons, with leaf piles, quiet snowfall, and butterflies blessing River’s pregnant Mama on Mother’s Day. As River finishes the school year, these empathetic adults celebrate his achievement; when his baby sister arrives, they’re right outside the door, eager to begin the cycle of love again. Set on an Oklahoma reservation populated by Muscogee Nation citizens and other Indigenous and non-Native people, this tale feels lived-in in the best ways; well-chosen details from River’s life, in both word and image, are deeply relatable to any reader yet gloriously his own. Aphelandra’s (Oneida) auntie roster includes women of various ages, skin tones, and body type; though her painting style is lightly abstracted, each auntie is so vibrantly imagined that it feels like you might know her yourself.
A rapturous reflection on community worth holding close to one’s heart. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
ISBN: 9780063374690
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Heartdrum
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
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