Meeting a childhood challenge proves beautifully rewarding in this fun, dreamy story.
A boy learns to ride a bike with a team of supporters and a big dose of self-confidence.
In their fourth story together, the Mile End kids, a group of friends who live in urban Montreal, have congregated to help diminutive, determined Tom get the hang of cycling. Tom’s pals offer encouragement (“Good job, Tom”) and taunts: “Try not to wobble so much, watermelon head.” They set up obstacles to navigate—“bins and pots and garbage of all sorts.” Once Tom’s mastered these, he decides to take off his training wheels. Moments later, Tom turns the alley corner and heads down the block. Awaiting his return, his friends worry: Could he be lost? Could he have been in an accident? Might he return to them as a ghost? Little do they know, Tom is savoring his newfound freedom, envisioning himself cycling through scenes of pastoral perfection. The kids soon fête his safe return, declaring him the “Tour de Block Champion.” Arsenault lovingly observes the bumpy path of progress that leads to gleeful independence. Her densely shaded, playfully intricate illustrations give her story a special sense of place and childlike creativity. Tom is pale-skinned and blond and wears his bike helmet diligently. The Mile End kids vary in skin tone, height, and attitude.
Meeting a childhood challenge proves beautifully rewarding in this fun, dreamy story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780735267626
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
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
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.”
Bewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great.
Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba; “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story; she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography.
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60060-898-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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