A zippy art style doesn’t completely mitigate awkward choices, making this one to safely pass on.
Superhero community members are featured in this board book.
Going beyond the usual suspects (firefighters, doctors), this book nicely features some less-obvious superheroes: an author, a music teacher, and a physical therapist, to name a few. There is also the odd inclusion of parents who design toys as heroes, presumably because kids love toys, but it feels odd juxtaposed with the nurse and the firefighter. Just how exactly do “they save the day, every day”? Each double-page spread features a different superhero, generally following the same repeated text structure. The bright, neon-colored illustrations that accompany each page of text feature the hero engaged in their work in a child-friendly, animation-inspired style. There are nice little touches of traditional superhero garb on each illustration, such as chest insignias, capes, and boots. While the featured superheroes are fairly diverse, some fulfill stereotypes (the author is a white, bespectacled woman; the nurse, a black woman; the zookeeper, a black man). A few of the characters are described as a mom or a dad, while others are not, which reads like a messy attempt to demonstrate that parents are superheroes, too. The concept of community helpers as heroes is a familiar one, and while it’s nice that some atypical occupations are included, it’s not enough to make this one stand out.
A zippy art style doesn’t completely mitigate awkward choices, making this one to safely pass on. (Board book. 18 mos-4)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-947458-24-6
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Duo Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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