Just might have readers getting up to dance.
Luna loves all kinds of dance, but can she ever be a “real dancer”?
Luna twirls at Dad’s house and leaps at Mom’s. Dancing makes her world bright. On the day of her dance tryout, Luna believes that if she does well, that’ll mean she’s a real dancer. The teacher shows the class a routine, and Luna looks worried. When it is Luna’s turn, she trips. She gets up and tries again. And falls. She tries again. And stumbles. Luna watches the rest of the class do well. Her parents assure her she can still dance, but Luna thinks she will never be a real dancer. Luna keeps dancing with her family and friends, but every time they tell her she’s dancing, she counters with, “But I’ll never be a real dancer.” Finally, at her cousin’s birthday party, Luna’s song is played. Luna teaches friends to shimmy and Dad to pirouette. She does the Crazy Legs with Mom and spins and does the Rockaway with Nana and Grandpa. The “real dancer” language fades away as Luna leaps “over hard times, with joy,” on a spread full of color and laughter. This story taps into fears about being good enough and delivers a lovely message about doing what brings joy. The illustrations use color and background to highlight Luna’s moods. Luna is a brown girl with puffy hair; Mom is a blonde White woman and Dad is a Black man with a curly Afro.
Just might have readers getting up to dance. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68464-273-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown.
In Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Hurts’ motivational picture book, a youngster rebounds from disappointment.
As Jalen heads off on his first day of school, he daydreams about joining the football team, but his friend Trey soon breaks the bad news. The garden club needed more space for vegetables, so the football field was used for planting. There will be no football this year. Jalen is despondent, but his teachers Mrs. Lee and Mr. Barry and bodega owner Mr. Muhammad offer guidance that spurs him and his friends into positive action. They work to flip a nearby empty lot into a football field, with Jalen echoing his mentors’ adages. Once the field is complete, Jalen feels a swell of pride in his and his friends’ work. While the idea of kids working together to effect change is a laudable one, the bland, wordy storytelling won’t inspire young people or hold their attention. Tired, cliched inspirational comments peppered throughout often slow down the narrative, and many adult readers will find the premise—a school dropping a high-interest sports program in favor of a community garden—wildly unrealistic. Though the illustrations are colorful, with a Disney Junior charm, strange stylistic choices, such as signs with odd combinations of scribbles instead of letters, give them an unpolished look. Like Hurts, Jalen is Black; his community is diverse.
Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9798217040308
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
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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