A well-meaning but anodyne picture book for the post–gay-marriage era that doesn’t imagine what could come next.
Following her eponymous debut (2008), Willow’s second adventure is gay—as in happy and as in, well, gay.
It’s hard to find LGBTQ–themed picture books that don’t focus on matrimony or meanies, and Brennan-Nelson’s newest utilizes both. In a world populated mostly by smiling white people (except in crowd scenes), Willow’s beloved uncle Ash is marrying his partner, David, but he doesn’t dance—and what would a wedding be without a cut-up rug? Willow learns that her uncle was traumatized as a child during an enthusiastic dance performance, shamed by his father and called “Twinkle Toes” by classmates (code for “light in the loafers”?), and his ego never recovered. After a day of shopping, Willow convinces Uncle Ash to watch her dance class, and then to join in, where he rediscovers his confidence. By the end, everyone at the wedding (even Grandpa) dances happily, though the new husbands always keep a lot of distance between their bodies. In addition to offering an entirely toothless message, this story lacks an interesting structure. The plot plods along, with illustrations reflecting the text rather than expanding on it. While it’s nice that no one has to explain or defend gay marriage, there’s nothing to distinguish this story from any other picture book about uncles getting married.
A well-meaning but anodyne picture book for the post–gay-marriage era that doesn’t imagine what could come next. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: May 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58536-966-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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
SEEN & HEARD
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