bookshelf

MARCEL WITH A SPLASH

Name: MARCEL WITH A SPLASH
Author: Julia Sørensen
ISBN: 9781773069838

by Julia Sørensen ; illustrated by Julia Sørensen ; translated by Shelley Tanaka ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2025

Warm and welcoming.

bookshelf

This import, translated from French, introduces a child with Down syndrome.

When Marcel is born, his mom’s unfazed by his webbed toes—Marcel’s a Pisces, after all. But when doctors notice Marcel’s “almond-shaped eyes,” the “single crease on his palm,” and more, he’s diagnosed with Down syndrome. Marcel’s parents, unsure how to feel, “bury those strange words at the bottom of the garden” and “leave them to grow in their own time.” Marcel grows, too. Some things are harder to learn, but he’s persistent. Though some kids in Marcel’s village exclude him, Anthony thinks he’s funny, and Melody understands him even though he doesn’t talk. And when Marcel meets Esther, a woman with Down syndrome who lives independently, she helps his parents put his diagnosis “in a vase with some pretty flowers.” Soon Marcel will start school with support—and, like any kid, will look forward to summer vacation. Sørensen, the mother of a child with Down syndrome, reassures kids and parents alike that people with this condition are multifaceted individuals, which her pale ink-and-colored pencil illustrations gently demonstrate. While the choice to bury and later display Marcel’s diagnosis aptly symbolizes his parents’ acceptance, the depiction of the “words” as chromosomes in the corresponding illustrations may confuse younger readers; Down syndrome is undefined in the text. But readers won’t need definitions to understand the most important thing: Marcel is “just like any kid who loves to be silly.” Characters have light skin.

Warm and welcoming. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025

ISBN: 9781773069838

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

bookshelf

HELLO THERE, SUNSHINE

by Tabitha Brown ; illustrated by Olivia Duchess ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.

bookshelf

Actor, social media star, and entrepreneur Brown pens a joyful paean to positive thinking in her children’s debut.

Brown-skinned Tab rides a strawberry-themed bike, accompanied by a curly-haired black dog, Grady. Tab’s dazzling smile and wide eyes signal the upbeat theme echoed in the text, celebrating the sun’s warmth, which “fills everyone up with joy.” But Tab’s mood shifts, as it’s a “cloudy and gray” June day. Alert readers will spot the dog’s smiling countenance and note glimpses of sunny yellow butterflies and flowers. Mama’s reassurance that there’s “always a chance” for sunshine also underscores the optimism. Tab and Grady bike through suburban streets “to find the sun.” Along the way, the two stop to assist a neighbor building a birdhouse, loft a kite for friends Frankie and Fonte, and lend a hand to others, all while still having fun. Mama steers Tab toward an eventual understanding of the real source of joy: Though the sun didn’t appear, “I brightened everyone’s day!” The illustrations subtly underscore the message of this radiant story as touches of gold lighten the palette, which ends with sunny brilliance. Most characters read Black, though Tab’s community includes people who vary in skin tone, body type, and ability.

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 11, 2025

ISBN: 9780063342262

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 21, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

bookshelf

ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

bookshelf

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)