A charming concept book, an upbeat romp, and an ode to South Asian cuisine, all in one delectable package.
An Indian grandfather and child head to the market to stock up for a party—and find themselves embarking on a lesson in counting.
Sona and Dada (Grandfather) wander around, encountering foods from a variety of Indian culinary traditions. They pick up “20 ladoos at this store” and then “19 elaichis from a drawer.” The book continues counting backward as the pair buy “18 sheeras from that man.” What’s next? “16 mangoes in a line,” “15 flavors on the sign!” and “13 tikkis—so delish!” Sona and Dada even stop for eclairs, which, the authors explain, are served in the southeast Indian city of Pondicherry, once a French colony. At the end of their shopping trip, the two return home and prepare a celebratory picnic for friends and family. The book’s bright illustrations make use of enticing patterns and feature background characters with a variety of skin tones and hair textures. Filled with color and movement, the artwork brims with joyful chaos. The jaunty verse, presented in couplets, cleverly covers a wide variety of foods, although at times the authors sacrifice word choice for the sake of a rhyme. Accompanying the main text are explanatory notes in a smaller font, which include pronunciations for Hindi words and definitions. This is a well-thought-out, refreshingly original work, with whimsical illustrations beautifully complementing the exuberant text.
A charming concept book, an upbeat romp, and an ode to South Asian cuisine, all in one delectable package. (Concept book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9781665934008
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale.
The classic picture book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets a makeover for Easter as the letters of the alphabet locate and decorate eggs.
The mission is simple: “Chicka chicka peek peek. / Everybody seek seek! / Find all the eggs / in the pretty pink tree.” The letters are making their way up the flowering tree in search of the hidden eggs when a “SNEEZE!” scatters everyone and the eggs fall and crack. Luckily, a bunny hops by with a haul of new ones, which the letters then paint and bedazzle, eventually sharing the newly decorated eggs with a group of bunnies. This picture book is a successfully Easter-fied version of the original: The letters go up; the letters fall down. Truly, though, that’s all the preschool crowd needs. Chung’s illustrations are simple and familiar, a direct echo of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The letters appear in colorful, bold, block form. The book has few added details, just focal images like the tree and its pink flowers, the colorful eggs, tufts of grass, and some friendly rabbits. The alphabet appears in order (both upper- and lowercase letters) at the book’s open and close. The rhyming text follows the iconic cadence of the source material, making for a worthy read-aloud that will keep little hands turning pages.
A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781665990646
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
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