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THE ISLAND

Name: THE ISLAND
Author: Gideon Sterer
ISBN: 9780593900147

by Gideon Sterer ; illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 24, 2026

Lush art, hampered by exceedingly explicit messaging.

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When the island calls, a child must obey.

Our young narrator is first seen climbing into a small sailboat. Although the child has no desire to visit the titular island, “the sky darkens, and the wind rises, and the current pulls me away.” Sarcone-Roach’s watercolors render the place a gloomy blue gray, all grasping branches and malevolent trees. On this day, however, the protagonist encounters a girl who suggests exploring rather than immediately fleeing the island. “Whatever you find here, whatever you feel here, know that you are never, ever alone,” she says. The child cries and experiences a range of emotions. After, color infuses the island, and the protagonist comes to a realization: “I know I’ll return to the island. And I think that’s all right,” because “the storm will pass. The sea will calm…and this boat will take me home.” Sterer’s reassuring text may well help some young readers learn to face difficult emotions head on, but he applies his allegories with an exceedingly heavy hand that will put many off. While eye-catching, Sarcone-Roach’s artwork reflects Sterer’s words without ever elevating the telling. Initially, both children have skin the color of the page; with the introduction of color, the protagonist appears tan-skinned.

Lush art, hampered by exceedingly explicit messaging. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2026

ISBN: 9780593900147

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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THE UNDERWEARWOLF
by Gideon Sterer ; illustrated by Charles Santoso

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THE DREAM
by Gideon Sterer ; illustrated by Nik Henderson

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IF YOU MAKE A CALL ON A BANANA PHONE
by Gideon Sterer ; illustrated by Emily Hughes

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)