A gem of a book that encourages kids to toughen up, gently.
Help toddlers learn to find their true grit with this charming primer on resilience.
This lovely introduction for tots to the value of perseverance and working through adversity is both gentle and persuasive. The lessons are well-stated and clear, making this book both a welcome addition to board-book literature and a great alternative to yelling, “Suck it up!” Gritty Kitty and friends play out a variety of scenarios that could end in tears. Instead of treating each incident like a catastrophe, though, Gritty Kitty demonstrates that there are healthier, easier, and more enjoyable ways to respond to each situation: “Gritty Kitty, stumble and fall, / stand back up—no problem at all! // Build a tower. Blocks tumble down. / Keep trying, look: a purrfect town!” When the blocks fall, of course, Gritty Kitty looks appropriately unhappy but then beams with joy when persistence pays off and the town is complete. Other pint-sized potential crises that Gritty Kitty navigates in an emotionally healthy way include impatience, boredom, trying new food, and fear of the dark (it can be cozy, too). The cartoon illustrations complement the lessons perfectly—each animal character is fully realized and expressive, with plenty of fun detail in each panel.
A gem of a book that encourages kids to toughen up, gently. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-936669-76-9
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Wonderful, indeed
A love song to baby with delightful illustrations to boot.
Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin’s text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart. The lines that read “This is the first time / There’s ever been you, / So I wonder what wonderful things / You will do” capture the essence of the picture book and are accompanied by a diverse group of babies and toddlers clad in downright adorable outfits. Other spreads include older kids, too, and pictures expand on the open text to visually interpret the myriad possibilities and hopes for the depicted children. For example, a spread reading “Will you learn how to fly / To find the best view?” shows a bespectacled, school-aged girl on a swing soaring through an empty white background. This is just one spread in which Martin’s fearless embrace of the white of the page serves her well. Throughout the book, she maintains a keen balance of layout choices, and surprising details—zebras on the wallpaper behind a father cradling his child, a rock-’n’-roll band of mice paralleling the children’s own band called “The Missing Teeth”—add visual interest and gentle humor. An ideal title for the baby-shower gift bag and for any nursery bookshelf or lap-sit storytime.
Wonderful, indeed . (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37671-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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