A poignant work about seeking and finding comfort.
A young crane seeks out ways to keep from forgetting a deceased brother in Cade’s series picture book about love, loss, and healing.
A mother, father, and child crane mourn the loss of Archie, the child’s sibling; the parents struggle to discuss what has happened. Finally, the child says, “I will miss him forever, but I am still here. / Don’t forget about me when I need you so near.” As the family comes together to remember their loved one, they focus on the good times, but the child worries about forgetting those memories. During a walk, the young crane asks Mr. Frog, Mrs. Bison, Mr. LeBron the dragonfly, Mrs. Beaver, and the bison’s companion birds how each remembers those they’ve lost. Cade’s smooth, simple rhymes go to the heart of the young crane’s grief without feeling overwhelming; the animals’ advice provides a new outlook to help young, grieving readers find ways to channel their emotions into empowerment. Einer’s mixed-media illustrations feature a painted blue background with cartoon animals; the realistic landscapes and somewhat realistic animals with human accessories (boots, bags, skateboards) bring the situations to life in a kid-friendly way. The sympathetic words and comforting images create a safe space for children to sit with grief and for parents to begin healing conversations.
A poignant work about seeking and finding comfort.Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-954211-03-2
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Snapdragon Ink
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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