An impressively realistic, heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and illuminating understanding.
A child gains poignant insight about family while making Chinese takeout deliveries.
“Baba and I—we navigate it together,” the young, East Asian–presenting narrator explains as father and child “shuttle cardboard trays full of takeout containers from [their] restaurant to the minivan.” While Baba drives, the child wields a notebook of addresses, a foldout map, and a red pen to ensure the orders reach their hungry clients. Despite compliments—“What a good kid you are”—the protagonist would rather be “a normal kid” instead of Baba’s helper. But it’s in the darkness that Baba divulges faraway stories of “empty stomachs and worried whispers,” of “find[ing] his way in a new country.” He confesses, “Before I had you, I would get so lost.” Returning safely to the restaurant means a warm family meal to share. In an author’s note, Leung describes the inspiration for the work: making food deliveries with her own father in the 1990s. Particularly resonant is her observation about the children of immigrants who must often become their parents’ translators, advocates, and navigators. In an illustrator’s note, Kang reveals her own family’s inspiration and how she uses weather—a dark downpour, its dissipation, parting clouds giving way to the shining moon—to affectingly reflect the shifting parent–child relationship. She creates her gorgeous, moody illustrations in gouache, crayon, colored pencil, and pastel. Mature themes concerning immigration, identity, and belonging suggest that older readers might especially appreciate this work.
An impressively realistic, heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and illuminating understanding. (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9780593897690
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Anne Schwartz/Random
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
Brotherly love and Black joy abound in this brilliantly told tribute to the ties that bind.
When Mom and Dad bring baby Rasheed home for the first time, it’s love at first sight for big brother Anthony.
As the boys grow, Anthony teaches his little sibling how to build a tower with blocks (and how to knock it down with a loud “WHOP!!!”), how to ride a bike, and even how to fly (through a well-timed leap from the swings). When thunder and lightning wake them both one night, Anthony assuages Rasheed’s fears with the book’s titular refrain: “I got you.” But one day Anthony goes for a bike ride with his friends, leaving Rasheed alone and hurt. That night, Anthony explains that while he may spend time with his peers, his bond with Rasheed is unbreakable. And as the book comes to a close, with Mom and Dad introducing the boys to their new little sibling, Anthony leaves Rasheed with perhaps the greatest lesson of all: how to be a supportive big brother himself. Narrated by Rasheed, Barnes’ text is elegant in its simplicity, loving yet never saccharine, and always emotionally honest. Using varied perspectives, Knight-Justice’s richly hued, collagelike digital illustrations combine a patchwork of textures and patterns, immersing readers in this affectionate Black family’s world. Greens and blues dominate the pages, bringing to life an idyllic suburban setting.
Brotherly love and Black joy abound in this brilliantly told tribute to the ties that bind. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780593111451
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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