A helpful story that sticks to pandemic-related facts in ways that young children will easily understand.
John Chaput and Leanne Chaput’s debut illustrated children’s book presents a simple tale about the importance of getting the Covid-19 vaccine.
When young Timmy notices his dad heading out to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, it sparks an important conversation between father and son. Using simple terms and straightforward explanations, Timmy’s dad explains why he’s chosen to get the vaccine and proudly declares: “I choose to be part of the solution.” This short work, which features rudimentary full-color cartoon illustrations by Stefanie Chaput, seems primarily geared toward parents who not only want their kids to feel comfortable with getting the vaccine, but who also want them to understand why it’s important to do so. The book lays bare the basic vaccination experience, describing the needle prick as a “little pinch” and explaining how the vaccine can lessen the most severe symptoms of the virus. Timmy finally requests a vaccination after considering the health of his grandma and his friend Johnnie, and he heads out to an appointment with his father; upon returning home, he happily announces that he feels “like a superhero.” This sentiment aligns with the book’s overarching idea that getting the Covid-19 vaccine is not only something kind that one can do for oneself, but also for others. Included in the back of the book are three separate pages on which kids may record their own vaccine experiences through writing and drawing as well as a bonus coloring page featuring pictures of Timmy and his father.
A helpful story that sticks to pandemic-related facts in ways that young children will easily understand.Pub Date: July 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-03-914660-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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