Compassionate and cozy, if a bit unfocused.
A glimpse into the life of a child whose parent grapples with a chronic illness.
For the past five years, 8-year-old Sophie has lived with “My Michael,” a loving single guardian. Recently, My Michael has been feeling ill, but people outside their family don’t understand, pointing out that “he doesn’t look sick.” Sophie tries to help out—bringing My Michael ginger ale and saltines and sharing some of the stars that adorn the child’s bedroom—and My Michael’s mother, Julia, arrives to clean and make dinner. Drawing on her own experiences with long Covid, Smith offers a warm, loving vision of a nontraditional family with an authentic, empathetic voice. The narrative is light on plot, mostly consisting of one- or two-page anecdotes about Sophie and My Michael’s life, with quite a few seemingly extraneous details and dropped threads, such as My Michael’s pregnant best friend Kim and My Michael’s talent for singing. The lack of a clear narrative thread may leave some readers feeling unsatisfied, but others will appreciate the slice-of-life feel. The tale is at its best when exploring seemingly inconsequential yet poignant moments in the characters’ lives, like when Sophie, with great forethought, turns the “88” on their apartment door into two snowmen. Adult readers may wish for some acknowledgment of the toll that caretaking can have on a child—even if Julia does step in. The illustrations are pleasant and gentle. Michael, Sophie, Kim, and Julia are pale-skinned, while incidental characters are diverse.
Compassionate and cozy, if a bit unfocused. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781459840157
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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
© Copyright 2025 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.
