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 warm and enticing celebration of doting fathers.
Whether they are “Papa,” “Bàba,” “Papi,” or “Fadre,” fathers love their children.
This board book shows dads engaging in many different forms of love: reading bedtime stories, searching the skies with a telescope, biking, and gardening. Told from the child’s point of view, the text is made up of simple, descriptive statements like “Daddy and I play soccer together. He teaches me how to juggle the ball,” and “Baba shows me how to dress with style. He makes everything look like new.” The book is inclusive, with characters who are diverse in terms of race and ability. Urda also includes a child who talks about a father figure rather than a dad: “Pappy is like my dad—he helps me ride my bike.” Butcher’s illustrations carefully capture details such as delicate, Afro-textured curls, braids, and crutches. The images show fathers doing a range of tasks, including those traditionally associated with mothers, such as baking and sewing. The colors are vibrant and inviting, with plenty to take in on each page. Overall, this simple tale shows fathers as the diverse, capable, loving parents that they are. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A warm and enticing celebration of doting fathers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1351-7
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A soothing bedtime reminder of a parent’s unconditional love.
Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter Monét’s picture-book debut reassures the very young that their caregivers are always watching over them.
A smiling yellow star watches the equally cheerful moon; both are heavily anthropomorphized, with eyelashes for the moon and pink cheeks for the star. A page turn reveals the star, now downcast and in the corner of a mostly dark spread: “Sometimes the sky is dark and you can’t see the moon at all.” The following spread, depicting a sparkly sky with both characters back in view, reminds children that the moon is there, even when it’s not visible: “Think of me as the moon / It’s always in the sky / Just like I will forever be / a bright light in your life.” Both orbs beam. “I’ll always be your moon / You’ll always be my star / Just keep me in your heart and / I’ll be everywhere you are.” This becomes the refrain after a few more verses that continue the theme of the moon as a metaphor for emotionally present, ever-loving caregivers. Little ones will happily repeat the words as they’re lulled to sleep. The book ends with a heartfelt dedication from the author to her daughter and to parents who balance caregiving duties with careers. Monét notes that she set out to show children that their parents’ devotion endures no matter what—a goal achieved by both text and art.
A soothing bedtime reminder of a parent’s unconditional love. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780593698419
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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