A finding-one’s-voice story in an inspired milieu.
It’s one kid’s turn at the mic; will he know what to say?
Cedric lives in a house that contains a music studio run by his parents. He fantasizes about taking a turn at the mic, but he’s so shy that even saying hello is intimidating. One day Cedric’s parents summon him; as his father puts it, “You’ve listened to the singers sing / and the rappers with their flow. / Now it’s time for you / to make this mic begin to glow.” The challenge is made easier by the fact that the microphone is the kind that talks, and it has some advice for Cedric: “When you put me in your palm, / you’ll have powers, you’ll feel strong. / Speak in colors—orange and red. / Speak it straight from your heart, Ced.” While there’s a reasonable chance that this book’s readers won’t live in houses that contain music studios (or talking microphones, for that matter), most kids can relate to feeling nervous about speaking in public, and the warmth and wisdom of Goodwin’s rhymes and the welcoming softness of Juanita’s digital art may help neutralize the anxiety. There’s an inviting purple glow in the bustling studio and a luminous blue in fantasy sequences that at one point find Cedric, megaphone in hand, riding an elephant on a bridge to the stars. Cedric is brown-skinned with cornrows; his family presents Black.
A finding-one’s-voice story in an inspired milieu. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9780358692126
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
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)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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