by Joni Bosch ; illustrated by Aiko Graven ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 18, 2023
Will quietly build self-esteem and appreciation for a multitude of talents.
Suzy can’t paint or sing, but her friends help her recognize her special talents.
Suzy, a white duckling with a red scarf and orange bill and webbed feet, is discouraged. She doesn’t seem to have any abilities that set her apart. But she isn’t ready to despair. Instead, she visits her friends to see what makes them special. Monkey is painting. Congenial Capybara is lying in the grass with his friends (“I like being around people”). Rat is sitting on a log, laughing at his own jokes. Signposts scattered throughout offer real-life animal facts—"capybaras are superkind to everybody,” and "some rats start laughing when their tummy is tickled.” Suzy easily recognizes her friends’ talents, but upon returning home, she still can’t identify her own strengths. Luckily, her friends join her and explain the skills they’ve noticed her displaying during her visits—she’s a great listener, and she’s very determined, for instance. Suzy learns that she is indeed special, and she is no longer sad. The story itself is a bit on the didactic side, but the fun facts make it less so. The last line—“What’s your special talent?”—is a great discussion prompt for little ones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Will quietly build self-esteem and appreciation for a multitude of talents. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781605378459
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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by James Dean ; illustrated by James Dean ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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