A winning tale to be shared over and over.
Olympic fencer Muhammad, co-author Ali, and illustrator Aly team up for another tale about young Faizah.
Faizah adores summer Fridays, attending Jummah prayers at the mosque with her mom and big sister, Asiya. Faizah loves fencing lessons, too—except when she must perform in front of her peers. Are they staring at her because she’s messing up? Faizah prefers to fade into the background: At the mosque, she feels safe in the crowd behind the imam, and at home, she shadows Asiya’s fencing moves. When the coach asks if she’ll compete in the fencing tournament, Faizah is reluctant. But after her mom imparts some wise words on courage (“Water the roots for the right reasons, and bravery will grow. Exactly when you need it to”), Faizah learns step by step how to show her skills in front of people, so that when it’s the right time to be bold, she can step out from the crowd. This heartwarming story centering a Black Muslim family and their community showcases lessons from Muhammad—the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics—about fitting in, faith, and confidence. With Eid on the horizon for Faizah and her family, her busy summer days and anticipation of the holiday result in a vividly depicted milestone in a young girl’s life. Aly’s energetic illustrations reach new heights with compositions that get inside Faizah’s mind and heart.
A winning tale to be shared over and over. (authors’ notes) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780759555716
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.
Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.
Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217032464
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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
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