Readers should be touched by this bittersweet family tale and captivated by the frameworthy art.
In this picture book about losing a loved one, an author provides a look at his childhood relationship with his Italian grandmother.
Jimmy and Nonna are kindred spirits. In summer, they feed the birds and share Italian ice. In autumn, he tries to catch falling leaves while Nonna watches. On holidays, they make Nonna’s special biscotti di cannella. But one year, she isn’t well enough to cook her special Italian sausage stuffing on Thanksgiving; she’s so sick, she can’t get out of bed. After Nonna dies, Jimmy’s father declares that, honoring family tradition, they will not celebrate Christmas. But then Jimmy finds a vendor’s last Christmas tree and persuades his father to take it home. Placing Nonna’s angel on the tree brings the whole family peace. Doti’s (Jimmy Finds His Voice, 2013) gentle sequel is about struggling with the death of a grandparent but coming to realize that memories of the relative live on. The text is accessible and moving, and Ibatoulline’s (The Hawk of the Castle, 2017) Norman Rockwell–esque paintings beautifully capture the bygone era in which the vivid tale is set, revealing both the love and humor in Jimmy’s family. Though the book centers on an Italian-American clan, Ibatoulline offers a diverse neighborhood, where residents of many skin colors share the park and school. A recipe for Nonna’s biscotti di cannella follows the story. This is sure to have children playing the “I love you this much” game of the title.
Readers should be touched by this bittersweet family tale and captivated by the frameworthy art.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2018
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Fern Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
© Copyright 2024 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.
bookshelf
