An upbeat, uncomplicated ode to bodies that are big, thick, broad, and boundless.
Children celebrate their abundant bodies, from their hair to their feet.
Prolific author Yolen joins forces with her grandchild Stemple-Piatt to create a simple, rhyming picture book about the beauty and power of large bodies. Depicting kids with a variety of skin tones, the story employs a gentle formula to uplift physical features that children may feel self-conscious of, including wide feet, thick thighs, and long arms. Each child describes a body part that often attracts attention (a Black youth notes, “Some friends mention my very broad shoulders / Say I’d make small work of mighty big boulders”), followed by a positive framing of the part in question (“But I pull my shoulders back, and I walk with pride”). Each segment concludes with the titular affirmation: “Then I look in the mirror—and what do I see? / BIG and BOLD and BEAUTIFUL me!” As each child repeats the celebratory refrain, Burgett’s cheerful illustrations portray them alongside kids from previous spreads, emphasizing connection and belonging. Disability isn't discussed in the text, though characters with disabilities (including a child with a limb difference and another child who uses a hearing aid) are depicted. In a growing landscape of body-positive children’s literature, this book’s overworked rhymes keep it from shining, but those looking for a gentle introduction to body acceptance will find it a solid option. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An upbeat, uncomplicated ode to bodies that are big, thick, broad, and boundless. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3864-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Handsome, evocative pen-and-wash artwork transports this merry adventure tale to impressive heights. Young Bubble is shipped to his aged cousins for a week while his parents are away. The two grizzled characters take the boy under wing and for entertainment, they build a model sailboat Bubble has brought along. The instructions say to put the finished model in water for it to attain full size. Sure enough, the next morning the ship is ocean-worthy, so the three set sail. Bubble is the captain, old man Granstrom is the cook (and a rotten one at first, given to such oaths as “glutinous glowworm” and “rubbery rattlesnake” when he burns the baloney), while Herring August stands lookout. Their minor exploits (including a stint as pirates, stealing a candy bar and red pencil) come to a close when the oatmeal runs out. They return home, dry off the boat, and now it sits on their mantle waiting for the next adventure. A fine blend of fantasy and tongue-in-cheek enterprise, with engaging characters, a mellow mood for all the adventure (this book could serve as a lullaby), and steady pacing, all knit together with Kruusval’s excellent detailed illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: April 18, 2001
ISBN: 91-29-65348-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: R&S/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
Here is Poppleton at his brief, mellow, sentimental best, mooning over the pleasure of friends in the coziest of settings. Accompanied by artwork that presents Poppleton as a lovable porker with a hint of the rascal in his body language, Rylant’s (The High-Rise Private Eyes, p. 964, etc.) first story finds Poppleton going solo to the movies. At first this seems a nifty idea—no having to share the eats—but fast becomes an exercise in loneliness, as Poppleton has no one to share the laughs and shivers and tears with. It is always better to have a friend to join in the fun, he concludes. Next, Poppleton and three pals have a quilting bee, during which they entertain each other with stories about their respective pasts, and images from the stories get sewn into the quilt, as if by osmosis. Afterward, they take turns using the quilt: “Poppleton got it in summer. Fillmore got it in fall. Cherry Sue got it in winter. And Hudson got it in spring. Every season of the year, someone was sleeping under stories.” Lastly, Poppleton runs out of bath emollients—nothing he liked better than a soak with lavender, lemon, and silky milk—so he visits Cherry Sue to see if he can borrow some. She only takes showers, but offers him some sweet smells from the kitchen: Blueberries? Vanilla? Cinnamon? No, says Poppleton, but lets go get something to eat. “Poppleton missed his soak that day. But it was okay. He was very happy smelling like a banana split.” Poppleton is a darling, especially so in these stories, which can be favorably paired with tales in which he is a bit more of a rogue element. (Easy reader. 5-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-590-84839-9
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
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