An effective, if visually undistinguished, tale with a straightforward message of reassurance for children affected by...
A picture book offering the point of view of twins offers affirmation and comfort to young children of separated parents.
Described as a “self-help book” for young readers, this work by Baier (My Little Inspirational Book, 2010), a grandmother of nine, is aimed at a specific audience: children facing the profound change that divorce brings and all the confusing, distressing emotions accompanying that situation. In clear, age-appropriate language, Baier introduces the subject with a first-person narrative from a young twin’s point of view, moving from a cozy dynamic (“We were a very happy family”) to dad’s departure, which leaves both siblings feeling “mad, sad, hurt and ashamed.” The author then addresses her audience directly, emphasizing “it is NOT your fault” and “you will be o.k.” Parents separate for many reasons, she asserts (leaving it at that), none of which have to do with their children. This doesn’t make the kids different—divorce happens to many youngsters, Baier notes. This explanation is framed by a picture of smiling girls and boys. (The uncredited cartoon-style illustrations—of diverse children and adults—are a colorful but unmemorable hodgepodge comprised of images that seem culled from several sources.) And, if children become overwhelmed by sad and angry feelings (“or if you want to hurt someone or yourself”), it helps to talk to a trusted adult about those emotions, the author advises. According to the back cover, Baier wrote this book based on the trauma she shared with her young twin brother that gave her firsthand experience with a child’s need to know without question that when parents separate, it is not because the kid did anything wrong. This no-frills but worthwhile work ends with the important lesson that although routines will be altered, the love that parents feel for their children will not disappear. Baier includes a blank page inviting children to draw a self-portrait under the heading “I Am Very Special and OK!”
An effective, if visually undistinguished, tale with a straightforward message of reassurance for children affected by divorce.Pub Date: June 9, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4269-7183-9
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Trafford
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In her first children's book, Parton (the country music star) turns one of her songs into a saccharine tale about a girl who is so poor that her mama has to sew her a patchwork coat when the weather turns cold. (Joseph and his coat of many colors are mentioned but never explained.) Despite the girl's love for her coat, she is teased in school, which she counters by trying to explain to her classmates ``that one is only poor/if they choose to be.'' The logic here is as flawed as the grammar, and Sutton's illustrations, while competent, show a well-dressed, happy rural family who look anything but poor. The text is both clumsy and irrelevent (it ends with ``Through life I've remained happy/and good luck is on my side./I have everything that anyone/could ever want from life.'') An apparently autobiographical song that has a hard time standing on its own as a compelling children's story. (Picture book. All ages)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1994
ISBN: 0-06-023413-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1994
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Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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