Bedtime (or anytime) bliss.
An appreciation of darkness as experienced by three siblings and their dog.
Dramatic spreads featuring darkness in settings as varied as the ocean, the sky, the shade of a tree, and the interior of a chrysalis are inspired by short passages of blank verse, each ending in the titular phrase, completed. “The dark is for calming”—and for “cooling,” “shining,” “seeing,” and “storytelling.” Kohuth’s language and Derby’s art are, by turns, rich and expansive or precise and intimate. A mixed-media spectrum of colors—with blues ranging from pale to inky—convey the changing moods and perspectives. In a spectacular storm scene, Derby takes advantage of the way watercolor finds its own path as amorphous, pink-tinged clouds rise above a theatrical, blue-black gale that foregrounds lightning bolts. This dark is “for storming.” In other compositions, minuscule details delight: a goofy, banjo-picking frog serenading the moon; delicate flowers and insects; a rabbit, safe in its burrow. The first-person plural narration presents darkness as benevolent, sometimes mysterious, often protective: “When we tuck away treasure, / we find the dimmest spot.” After their time outdoors, the trio (two are brown-skinned; one has light skin) are welcomed home by their brown-skinned mama, who tells them not to “be afraid to let in the dark” seen behind closed eyelids. Even the most dark-averse readers will take heed; here, the dark is for dreamy coziness.
Bedtime (or anytime) bliss. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665906777
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories.
What does Annie want to be?
As career day approaches, Annie wants to keep her job choice secret until her family sees her presentation at school. Readers will figure it out, however, through the title and clues Tadgell incorporates into the illustrations. Family members make guesses about her ambitions that are tied to their own passions, although her brother watches as she completes her costume in a bedroom with a Mae Jemison poster, starry décor, and a telescope. There’s a celebratory mood at the culminating presentation, where Annie says she wants to “soar high through the air” like her basketball-playing mother, “explore faraway places” like her hiker dad, and “be brave and bold” like her baker grandmother (this feels forced, but oven mitts are part of her astronaut costume) so “the whole world will hear my exciting stories” like her reporter grandfather. Annie jumps off a chair to “BLAST OFF” in a small illustration superimposed on a larger picture depicting her floating in space with a reddish ground below. It’s unclear if Annie imagines this scene or if it’s her future-self exploring Mars, but either scenario fits the aspirational story. Backmatter provides further reading suggestions and information about the moon and four women astronauts, one of whom is Jemison. Annie and her family are all black.
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-88448-523-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
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