A vibrant story that encourages readers to follow their passions—and share them with the world.
Doing what you love can bring good things.
Intensely shy and quiet, Stanley, a round-faced Black child, buries himself in a book at parties, speaks softly, and sits alone while his classmates play at recess. Stanley desires nothing more than to tap-dance on stage for an audience, but he tells only his two pet mice, Squeaker and Nibbles. When he helps the janitor clean the building after school, he changes into his tap shoes and dances around with the broom when he thinks no one is watching. Principal Reynolds, a Black woman, summons him to her office and tells him she has seen him dancing and is shocked. Stunned that he has been spotted, Stanley apologizes. “Sorry?” she says. “You’re terrific!” She insists that he enter the upcoming school talent show. Over the next two weeks, he dances for his mice, the birds outside, and feral cats, attempting to conquer his shyness. He also plucks up the nerve to dance on the playground for Tom, a new, light-skinned friend, who encourages him heartily. Manbeck’s blues, greens, and oranges give the illustrations a retro appearance, and the scribbly textures convey a sense of whimsy throughout. Blues that represent Stanley’s quiet, shy nature turn to bright yellows as he overcomes his fear, speaks more boldly, and embraces his love of dance. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A vibrant story that encourages readers to follow their passions—and share them with the world. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8783-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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