Tender, charming, and a visual delight.
Dragonboy, Unicorngirl, and their friends are ready for a nighttime adventure.
The protagonist, a bald, light-skinned, dragon costume–wearing little boy introduced in Dragonboy (2021), is camping along with Unicorngirl, a dark-haired, light-skinned girl in a unicorn getup, and an assortment of stuffed toys. While Unicorngirl sleeps, the others rush out—the toys having come to life—excited for what they might see and experience. Simon, a sloth, is reluctant and admittedly frightened, but the friends are reassuring, and he finds himself enjoying their escapades. The characters find their own senses of delight, whether noting the swaying trees, spotting an owl, listening to night sounds, playing with fox cubs, or counting and wishing on stars. Eventually Unicorngirl, who has been lurking behind them, joins the fun, chasing fireflies. Napoleoni employs lovely imagery in description and dialogue, and the narrator speaks directly to readers, often using parenthetical asides, encouraging them to imagine, wish, and be happy with their friends. The characters have distinct personalities, and they come together as a group of good-natured, kind friends. The tale is beautifully augmented by inventive, detailed illustrations. The night is filled with blue-tinted trees that have eyes and seem to watch over the friends. Sharp-eyed young readers may spot tiny, colorful caterpillars, a frog, a spider, a snail, and other hidden creatures in shadowed blue camouflage. Even the moon shines a benevolent, calm smile upon them. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Tender, charming, and a visual delight. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-46218-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
