An enticing invitation to conquer fears and leap into the water.
There’s watery fun to be had!
“Bloop. Dribble. Drip. Drizzle. Spray. Splish. SPLASH!” Reed, a rapping teacher whose music videos have gone viral, sets the stage vividly: We’re at the pool for a swimming class. Knight-Justice’s digital art depicts mostly brown-skinned swimmers diverse in hue, some clad in water-ready hijabs and polka-dotted swim caps, as well as an attentive lifeguard and coach, all with radiant smiles. A Black-presenting, curly-haired young boy, who narrates, leaps into action, ready for the coach’s drills: “KICK-KICK go my feet, my arms SAIL like a boat.” Later, a backyard pool party has the same fun vibes, but curiously, as our protagonist notes, “Everyone’s swimming…except for my dad.” Turns out Dad never learned to swim, and “he’s always been afraid to ask anyone for help.” But there’s an easy fix, because readers and characters alike already know of a perfect setting to learn. Father and son roll, glide, and float through the water together. Dad’s nerves start to melt away, though it takes time. Luckily, as this delightful picture book makes clear—with engaging rhymes!—time at the pool is guaranteed to be cool. Reed sensitively acknowledges the anxieties that swimming often provokes in readers young and old while also speaking to the joys of the water, underscored by Knight-Justice’s rich use of patterns.
An enticing invitation to conquer fears and leap into the water. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
ISBN: 9780316462068
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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