A clever and delightful snack-time story.
A popcorn kernel doesn’t pop but learns to have fun anyway in Kilpatrick’s picture book.
The Kernels are excited for Pop Day, when they leave their jars and head to the “MicroWave” to become popcorn. Otto can’t wait to do “the fun things he’d been dreaming about,” such as swim in butter and mingle with the Nuts. But although the other Kernels become white puffs, as planned, Otto remains unpopped. He tries to become a popped Kernel via various methods, but nothing works, and he returns to his jar. One day, Otto discovers a bowl of happy half-popped and unpopped Kernels. They invite Otto to join them, saying, “You can have fun whether you pop or not!” Otto enjoys spinning in butter, sliding down a wedge of cheese, and soaking in chocolate. The next Pop Day, Otto holds a sign that says, “HAPPY POP (OR NOT) DAY!!!” Otto’s adventure is a quirky and endearing one. Kilpatrick effectively teaches readers that, like the protagonist, they can excel even in circumstances that may not be exactly what they pictured. Blanco’s charming, full-color illustrations depict Otto and other expressive Kernels in a cheerful kitchen setting. Also included is a creative, detailed illustration of a “map” to MicroWave City, including locales such as Pistachio Way and Juice Box Café.
A clever and delightful snack-time story.Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-93-844722-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Genius Cat Books
Review Posted Online: July 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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
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