by Donald Jacobsen , illustrated by Graham Evans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 10, 2019
A nice mix of careers that may be inspiring to young readers.
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Author Jacobsen (Stinky Winky, 2018, etc.) and illustrator Evans (The Wishing Feather, 2019, etc.) highlight moms in a variety of mostly STEM-related jobs.
In this picture book, Jacobsen presents a number of different working mothers, matching children’s names to their parents’ careers (“Daniel’s mommy is a Doctor”). The moms portrayed include an architect, a police officer, an engineer, and an attorney. The accompanying rhymes are short and accessible, presenting a simplified version of what each job entails. In some cases, the text offers a joke, as when Paul’s paleontologist mother is said to want to clone dinosaurs. Many of the jobs are associated with science and technology (marine biologist, pharmacist) or high-risk careers (firefighter), but teachers also get a shoutout. Evans’ illustrations have a Cartoon Network–like style; although all of the mothers shown here seem to have the same types of noses, eyelashes, and body shapes, they have a range of skin tones; moms with disabilities, however, go unrepresented. The book’s organization is a bit haphazard—the jobs aren’t sorted alphabetically or by type—but that may have been intentional so that each of the different occupations feels unique among the others.
A nice mix of careers that may be inspiring to young readers.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73282-731-8
Page Count: 50
Publisher: Three Suns Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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PERSPECTIVES
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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adapted by Hannah Eliot ; illustrated by Nivea Ortiz
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by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit.
Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud.
“OH NO!” the story starts. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope).
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6456-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
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by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Tom Fletcher
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