An affirming picture book that will inspire young readers of all abilities to appreciate all ways of seeing.
A young boy learns to love the unique way he sees things in Corey’s picture book.
Jaxon, a young white boy, loves colors. He especially loves “the purple sky, the orange grass, or the pink, sparkly sidewalks” that make up his world. When Jaxon starts third grade and is asked to draw a picture of his summer vacation, he is excited to share his colorful world. However, he is mocked mercilessly by his classmates for getting his “colors wrong.” Determined to “fix” his shortcomings, Jaxon begs his parents for special glasses designed to correct his color blindness. When they arrive and Jaxon tries them on, he’s excited to see colors like everyone else. However, he soon realizes something: Seeing the pale blue of the sky and the grey of the sidewalk instead of the purple and sparkly pink that he’s used to is kind of boring. Written by a fifth grader with color blindness, this picture book celebrates how differences can enrich life and how color blindness can be viewed as a unique perspective, akin to having “magic eyes,” that makes the world far more vibrant. Full-color, textured illustrations by Rodis enhance the experience, showcasing the colors Jaxon sees in stark contrast to the hues most other people perceive. Young readers will enjoy Jaxon’s story and find inspiration to embrace their own unique traits.
An affirming picture book that will inspire young readers of all abilities to appreciate all ways of seeing.Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781637557969
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Mascot Kids
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A silly snack guaranteed to satisfy the funny bone; kids will eat it up and ask for more.
In this droll tale, ostensibly straightforward instructions are a recipe for absurdity.
To obtain the two slices of bread that a jelly sandwich calls for, a brown-skinned youngster named Frankie instructs readers to head to the store. But NOT to the bakery aisle! Instead, buy “one orange [traffic] cone, scuba flippers, and a yellow inner tube.” Using those items to fashion a duck disguise, you’ll score the bread from a brown-skinned elder feeding wildfowl in the park. And if the ducks see through your pretense, you might have to practice your “quack-cent.” Similar maneuvers are required to open the jelly jar: You’ll need peanuts, a playground with a “whirly-go-round,” and an elephant with a strong trunk grip. (But if the jar is carelessly opened upside down, you’ll get a “jellyphant.”) To spread the jelly, you must first scrub a dog in your bathtub. (Dip the clean tail in the jelly, then pet and praise the dog until it happily wags its tail over the bread slices.) Putting the slices together requires a knightly tournament, but cutting the sandwich, “the least complicated step of all,” involves training a hamster to ride a unicycle. The final pages propose an alternative (but just as outrageous) method and invite readers to think up their own ridiculous techniques. Burach’s scenarios are inventive and hilarious, while his exaggerated cartoon illustrations reinforce the delicious jokiness each step of the way.
A silly snack guaranteed to satisfy the funny bone; kids will eat it up and ask for more. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781338877090
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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