Break this one out at storytime, and don’t forget the musical instruments. (Picture book. 4-8)
A somewhat didactic, yet inspirational tale full of love and music.
Little Man loves to play the drums. “BOOM BOOM / rat-a-tat / ping-ping / CRASH!” He improves his skills by practicing on his own, but he longs to buy a bicycle so that he can take lessons across town. Little Man has lots of support from his family, including his father, who encourages him to pursue his passion despite teasing from his brother and friends. Little Man works as hard as he can at odd jobs to raise money, but he can’t seem to earn enough cash for the bike. Until, that is, the opportunity to play at the upcoming block party arises. Little Man entertains family, friends and neighbors with his beats, and they in turn fill a hat with enough money for Little Man to buy his bike. If the prose feels a little stilted at times, the illustrations—created with pastels and airbrushing—are unfalteringly realistic and warm. Little Man and his family and neighbors look like they could step, or dance, right off the pages. On the accompanying CD, Warwick narrates the story, bringing its rhythms to life, and Wooley, on whose life the story is based, provides a drum demonstration.
Break this one out at storytime, and don’t forget the musical instruments. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-57091-731-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
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
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.
Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
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