A sweet story that encourages readers to see their differences as gifts.
A zebra’s unusual stripe sets her apart from the herd in Rony’s picture book.
DayZee, a young zebra with “a purple stripe down the back of her neck,” finds herself on the outskirts of her herd, who are suspicious of and at times even cruel to her. (“They whispered names like ‘Crazy DayZee!’ and snorted, ‘Wipe the stripe!’”) Unable to see this stripe that sets her apart, DayZee struggles to understand why the others treat her like a misfit. DayZee and her mother are heading to the river to allow the curious zebra to finally see her reflection when their journey is interrupted by a tense interaction with lions. The mother and daughter are saved by DayZee’s stripe, which is something the lions have never seen before and causes them to run away in surprise. Soon, DayZee, as well as the rest of the herd, comes to understand the importance of diversity as DayZee’s stripe acts as protection from predators. Fong’s minimalist watercolor-inspired illustrations effectively complement the story and its beautiful savanna setting. While the theme of embracing individuality is a familiar one in children’s literature, the African setting and affectionate parent-child dynamic in Rony’s story are captivating. An ending note inviting young readers to reflect on their own uniqueness and “superpower” ties the story together and promotes healthy self-esteem development and a deeper appreciation of diversity.
A sweet story that encourages readers to see their differences as gifts.Pub Date: April 30, 2026
ISBN: 9798218763497
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Alexander Works
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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