This tender and accessible story of bravery and patience when facing a new situation encompasses a wide range of emotions...
In this story about new experiences, readers follow a tiny girl who faces her fear of swimming every Saturday.
Trying something new can be scary. Saturday mornings seem to start with stomachaches, as a grumpy little Asian girl fakes illness to avoid going to the swimming pool. She clings to her mom and hides in a locker. Her body language clearly shows her to be uncomfortable and tense as she stands against the wall while other children of all shapes and colors dive right in. Things do not look promising. Week by week, without any pressure from her white mom, she returns to the pool and takes tiny steps forward with the black swim instructor named Mary. Mary guides her away from the pool’s edge and gently builds on small successes each Saturday. Illustrations, done in watercolor and colored pencil, show the blue waters of the pool framed by the cold white floor tiles. Colorful swimsuits, bathing caps, and skin tones splash the pages. Slowly, the narrator finds her fearful feelings begin to change. As the little girl’s courage grows, the floor tiles slowly disappear, and the pictures become all water. The unnamed child narrates, gender indicated by the style of her swimsuit.
This tender and accessible story of bravery and patience when facing a new situation encompasses a wide range of emotions for timid children of all shapes and colors. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: June 12, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9117-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
This succulent successfully steals the spotlight from the ever-present evergreens.
Tiny Cactus eagerly anticipates Christmas—and wishes for some holiday decorations of her own.
Sitting snugly on a bookshelf, Tiny Cactus is especially treasured by her little girl. When she notices all the Christmas decorations coming out, Tiny Cactus is excited for her turn to be covered in tinsel and sparkles. Christmas Day arrives, but Tiny Cactus still doesn’t have any holiday decor. After a pep talk from her friend—an elephant-shaped teapot—and a little holiday magic, she gets some surprising trimmings of her very own. Tiny Cactus has sweetly human characteristics: pink cheeks, expressive eyes, and little legs below her flowerpot. The muted illustrations are dominated by pale grays, various shades of green, and many pops of pink. One particularly stunning image shows the Christmas tree, lights off, still glowing in the moonlight through the nearby window. Little readers will be delighted by the holiday magic and the way that Tiny Cactus ultimately gets her decorations. Evergreen trees are usually the stars of the season, but this unique cactus makes a creative focus for this story. Children will be pleased to learn that the Christmas cactus is a real houseplant; after reading this charming tale, many will be clamoring for one of their own. The little girl and her family are drawn with light brown skin and puffy dark hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This succulent successfully steals the spotlight from the ever-present evergreens. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780063039643
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Cleverly reinforces the dangers of running on empty.
The titular robot learns a lesson in balancing work with rest.
Although Whirby loves school and excels at subjects like magnetics, circuitry, and tinkering, he especially adores gadgeteering, because of the opportunities for “bot battles.” Whirby is so excited about competing in the next day’s tournament that he stays up all night practicing instead of plugging himself in and recharging his battery. The next morning, “his gears [feel] gritty, his buttons [feel] busted, and his cranks [feel] extra cranky.” At school, he experiences a major malfunction, and by the time he reaches the sporting ring, his battery has gone dead. His instructor, Dr. Whizbang, sends him home. Though devastated at missing his chance to go up against Dottie the Destroyer, Whirby makes a few observations about his body that night and “[codes] a new sequence” for himself, which little ones will recognize as a robot’s equivalent of bedtime rituals. Will Whirby feel ready tomorrow? Though older readers may find the tale a bit didactic, with its clearly telegraphed lessons, younger ones will be charmed by Whirby. Harris employs well-flowing sentences that make effective use of alliteration while playfully incorporating technical jargon. Featuring bright, eye-catching backdrops, Souva’s whimsical, blocky depictions of automatons pair well with the text.
Cleverly reinforces the dangers of running on empty. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9780063385474
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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