While the activities aren’t particularly unique, the humor and focus on family fun are.
Reagan and Wildish, with co-author Brown-Wood, continue their How To... series, this time with a longer tome focusing on activities kids and grown-ups can do together.
Seven chapters focus on fun…“in the fresh air,” “with paper,” “with science,” “you can eat,” “with crafts,” “with imagin-yay-tion,” and “with family.” Each has five to eight entertaining though not especially original activities that include easily procured supplies; simply worded, often tongue-in-cheek directions (“How To Go Stargazing”: “1. Wait for nighttime—this won’t work if it isn’t dark”); occasional other ideas to try; and Wildish’s digital cartoon illustrations playing up all the intergenerational fun. While some ideas definitely involve kids and grown-ups working and spending time together (a park picnic), others are adult-adjacent (making a kite) or don’t involve adults at all (making a mosaic). Notably, a few activities will reach across distances: sending letters or playing games over a video call. The book jumps around the seasons wildly, with a snowman-building activity following camping, and includes both indoor and outdoor fun. The focus is definitely on families, as several steps prompt children to say or write “I love you.” And not only does Wildish not picture any cellphones, but in the directions for making a family memory, children collect all electronic devices until the end of the day. Characters are racially diverse.
While the activities aren’t particularly unique, the humor and focus on family fun are. (activity checklist) (Activity book. 5-10)Pub Date: June 20, 2023
ISBN: 9780593479230
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.
Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.
Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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