Simple in its storytelling, strong in its diversity, this is an entertaining as well as enlightening read.
Continuing his already-beloved Geisel Award–winning series, Adler brings Mo Jackson and the family to the soccer field, where overzealous Mo must hone his skills in order to perform at the big game.
Mo Jackson is a small boy who loves sports with all his heart, though he is often smaller, younger, and slower than the other kids on the field. In this outing, he must master kicking if he’s going to be a contributor to his team, keeping the soccer ball on the ground instead of allowing it to fly every which way. His mom and dad practice with Mo before the big game, rolling the ball to him again and again, but it’s not looking promising. When the game starts, Coach Judy reiterates to Mo and the rest of the kids: “Keep the ball low. Kick it on the ground. Kick it toward the goal.” With the game tied late, Mo will get his opportunity to test out his mighty kick he’d been practicing all day. Readers just may be surprised at the result. The easy-to-read large font shares each page with Ricks’ energized, cartoonish illustrations. They easily and often humorously support decoding the text. Mo, his parents, and Coach Judy are all black, and featured throughout are diverse characters of different skin tones, body types, hairstyles, and visible cultural cues.
Simple in its storytelling, strong in its diversity, this is an entertaining as well as enlightening read. (Early reader. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-425-28981-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
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
BOOK REVIEW
Pitch-perfect tension and delightful silliness.
The legend of a giant, dangerous duck at Cucumonga Campground looms large.
Young Hector and his family are on vacation. Everything seems pleasant except for the many objects that have gone missing and the warnings Hector keeps receiving. Everyone tells him not to interact with the ducks. Don’t go near them, don’t look at them, and absolutely, positively, do not feed them. To further emphasize the point, “DO NOT FEED THE DUCKS” signs pop up every few feet at the campground. So what does Hector do? He feeds the ducks. They just look so cute and hungry. Amid the many feathers flapping, a large, foreboding shadow suddenly crosses the lake. Colón builds suspense through short, clipped narration. The weather turns ominous, and people flee in terror—it’s…THE QUACKEN! The fearsome, colossal wildfowl has appeared! It’s always one step ahead of Hector until there is no escape. Hector is popped into the duck’s bill like a delicious morsel. But, luckily for Hector, “children taste terrible.” Reminiscent of old, cheesy horror films, this tale will make a hilariously over-the-top read-aloud. Pino ramps up the drama in his illustrations, alternating full-page spreads with graphic novel–like panels and vignettes. Hector and his family are brown-skinned, while other campers are racially diverse.
Pitch-perfect tension and delightful silliness. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665922487
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
