Kudos to this dad for not only making chores fun and making the most of time with his daughter, but for meeting her on her...
When Darcy’s best friend cancels their play date due to illness, her dad saves the day in style.
Darcy-Daddy Day entails doing one item from Daddy’s list followed by one item from Darcy’s, until both lists are done. Darcy isn’t sure about this plan, but Daddy is game, jumping in with both feet to humor his princess: when it’s Dress Up time, he asks, “Were you thinking fancy or super fancy?” And the result is Daddy sporting jeans, a plaid shirt, and a pink tutu. Before the day is done, he also finds himself in a headband and with black nail polish, having mastered manicures. But he’s not the only one to try new things. Darcy mows the lawn (actually, she rides on the mower while dad mows her name in the grass), does laundry (aka a sock fight and matching socks), and, biggest accomplishment of all, hammers nails in the fence that protects her castle. “ ‘You were great with that hammer.’ // ‘And Daddy—you were great with these nails.’ ” Warrick’s watercolor and digital paint illustrations marvelously play up the dichotomy between the burly, tutu-clad white dad and his girly, white daughter, purse full of tools over her shoulder and tiara on her head. And these chores are certainly ones that readers will want to emulate.
Kudos to this dad for not only making chores fun and making the most of time with his daughter, but for meeting her on her level. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-9362613-6-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
Gleefully fun.
Is little Jesús prepared for the awesome responsibility of managing Papá’s magical water-jug clock?
Hooray, it’s Saturday! Jesús can help his gardener father with the family business. Jesús is tasked with taking care of the water jug, which, according to Papá, is “also a magical clock. It tells us how much work is left to do!” Jesús gets ready as Mamá reminds them “to drink lots of agua.” Piling into their trusty van with its supplies and intoxicating smell of gasoline, oil, and “yesterday’s cut grass,” Jesús and Papá head out. First stop: the Saldañas’ house, where Jesús gives water to some thirsty old cats, Papá, and himself (and splashes some water on his face) while Papá tends to the lawn. At Juan-Diego’s super big house with its tiny dog, Jesús hands out lots of water to everyone (plus two face splashes) to ward off the heat. By Stop Número Tres, the magical water-jug clock is out of water. Time to go home? But there are still 11 more houses to go. Oh no! Where did Jesús go wrong? A marvelous portrait of a working-class Latine family, Trejo’s picture-book debut, inspired by his own childhood experiences, brims with humorous, childlike observations. Anchored by its pint-sized mischief-maker, this tale of a loving father-son relationship radiates pure warmth. Kinkz’s scrappy watercolor-blended artwork bursts with bright colors and amusing details, matching its tiny hero’s chaotic spirit. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gleefully fun. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781662651045
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Minerva
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
A cozy story for the stomach and the soul.
An ode to a beloved comfort food is also a love letter to family ties.
Esme, a dark brown–skinned child with long curly brown hair, and Abuela, who also has dark brown skin, visit the market to buy plátanos. When Abuela reminds Esme that plátanos are love, the young narrator muses, “I thought they were food. But Abuela says they feed us in more ways than one.” Esme receives a brief history lesson during the shopping trip, learning that their ancestors picked plátanos from trees long ago. Esme helps Abuela prepare several mouthwatering plátano dishes and hears more of their family history as they cook. Esme’s ancestors were forbidden from reading, writing, and drawing, so they memorized them and secretly passed the recipes down through generations. The tasty dishes of tostones y patacones, tajadas y maduros, and mangú y fufú are prepared with love and shared with friends and family. Esme writes the recipes down in a notebook titled “Nuestra Familia’s Cookbook” and notes that “Abuela says plátanos are our past. I say plátanos are our present. And with this book, plátanos will always be our future.” Text that incorporates unitalicized Spanish throughout and warm and inviting illustrations convey affection for both food and family and will leave readers hungry for plátanos. Characters throughout the book read as Afro-Latine. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A cozy story for the stomach and the soul. (glossary, recipes) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781665902731
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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