An offering that little ones likely won’t gobble up.
A young child is a very picky eater.
Baby Sebastian’s critical of the meals his parents serve and has developed a rating system: He awards meals one to five binkies, depending on whether they meet his exacting standards. The fancy restaurant his parents take him to is a one-binky experience: The highchair’s too tight, and Sebastian gets cranky listening to the waiter drone on about the specials. Time for a kid-friendly eatery, where they cook noodles similar to those that Sebastian’s parents make. OK, three binkies. Next day, when Mom and Dad serve Sebastian a favorite, though imperfect, dish, he recognizes a “special ingredient he had not noticed before—his family’s tender loving care.” The meal wins Sebastian’s highest rating: the coveted five binkies. Many parents will recognize Sebastian’s dining idiosyncrasies: He dislikes foods touching each other, and certain textures and consistencies bother him. Children old enough to appreciate the humor, however, may not relate to a story about a baby’s fussy eating habits. It’s also unclear why Sebastian suddenly learns to appreciate his parents’ efforts when the meals they’ve provided have always reflected their love; the story’s optimistic conclusion feels a bit like wish fulfillment for caregivers. The energetic illustrations were created from various media, including pastel, crayon, marker, colored pencil, spray paint, chalk, book pages, and old photos. Chubby, expressive Sebastian and his mom are brown-skinned, while his dad has pale skin.
An offering that little ones likely won’t gobble up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780593530375
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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