A lovely and reassuring tale.
A little raccoon is well-loved.
Walter and his mama (both raccoons) are picking blueberries for a pie. Walter knows he loves blueberries, and that gets him thinking. He asks his mother, “Who loves me?” “Daddy loves you,” Mama replies. But that isn’t enough for Walter. The little raccoon keeps prodding his Mama to know who else might love him as they make the pie back home: his grandparents and aunt do, along with his dog and his cat (except when he pulls her tail), and so do his friends. And finally Walter eventually gets the answer he wanted in the first place. The text is straightforward, and the scratchy, warmly colored illustrations pull little readers right into the snuggly atmosphere. The artist alternates between full spreads and small vignettes in rounded, loose borders. Though it’s longer than most board books, the repetitive nature of the text makes this book an ideal addition to the bedtime story shelf.
A lovely and reassuring tale. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2577-7
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
A simplistic, outdated take on Diwali for young children.
It’s Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and Binny can’t wait to tell her class about her favorite holiday.
On their way through their North American suburb to school, Binny’s mother wishes her luck and reminds her to tell her class about the oil lamps that are a central part of their family’s Diwali tradition. But when Binny’s teacher, Mr. Boomer, invites her to share, Binny freezes, overcome with shyness. Taking a deep breath, she remembers her mother’s advice. The thought of the world filled with light—symbolizing the triumph of good over evil—gives Binny the strength she needs to tell her family’s Diwali story. While the book is thorough in its description of traditions like wearing new clothes, eating sweets, lighting lamps, and decorating floors and sidewalks with colored powder, the prose is clunky and clumsy, and Binny’s conflict is resolved so quickly that the story arc feels limp and uninteresting. Other elements of the text are troubling as well. Calling Binny’s new clothes an “Indian outfit,” for example, erases the fact that the kurta she wears is typical of the entire South Asian subcontinent. The use of most fireworks, which the author treats as an essential part of the holiday, is now banned in India due to concerns about pollution and child labor. Most problematically of all, the author continually treats Diwali as a Hindu holiday celebrated by “everyone,” which is untrue in India or in diaspora and which dangerously equates Hindu and Indian identity. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads reviewed at 49% of actual size.)
A simplistic, outdated take on Diwali for young children. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-36448-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
Funny, feathery finesse.
In this wordless picture book, a fledgling robin with a vivid imagination keeps resisting its father’s encouragement to fly.
The first double-page spread clearly and cleverly shows a sequence in which a young robin in its nest passes gradually from the stage of pink and un-feathered to fluffy and then flight-ready. The father robin has been busily stuffing the child’s beak with whole worms, another signal that the youngster is maturing. Bold brush strokes and strong colors depict the birds, their nest on a branch, and surrounding foliage—with plenty of negative space to make room for speech bubbles. The “speech” consists of clear images showing a comical struggle between parent and child. Most of the “conversation” takes place on the ground, after the fledgling has inadvertently tumbled from its nest. The anthropomorphic facial expressions and body language are laugh-out-loud funny, as are the fledgling’s ridiculous, naïve pictorial retorts to every reason the adult gives for learning to fly. The baby imagines itself using all kinds of transportation—including, but not limited to, gaily colored hot air balloons, skateboards, and trains—and the father becomes increasingly frustrated. Children will giggle at the power struggle, recognizing human behaviors. Robins, like humans, share all aspects of parenting, and it is commendable that the art depicts this parent as male. As nightfall approaches, the adult finally succeeds in motivating its child, leading to a harmonious concluding scene.
Funny, feathery finesse. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-5128-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 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.
