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NEIGHBORS

Name: NEIGHBORS
Author: Kasya Denisevich
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7775-5

by Kasya Denisevich ; illustrated by Kasya Denisevich ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 22, 2020

A thoughtful, restrained reverie.

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A move to a new apartment prompts a series of ruminations in a young grade schooler.

The book opens on a gray European city. The child, dressed in red, ascends to apartment 12. This is the first time the narrator has had a room all to themselves. “But if you stop to think about it…” the child muses, “My ceiling is someone’s floor, and my floor is someone’s ceiling.” As the child imagines these new neighbors, the perspective shifts to a cross-section of the five-story apartment building; the child’s red dress and stuffed toy are the only spots of color. Readers peer in at a hive of activity: a family with many children playing; a gray-haired elder watching TV; someone on a toilet intently reading the newspaper. “Do they look like me? Or are they different in every way?” The page turn reveals startling transformations: The large family becomes Snow White and the seven dwarves; the TV viewer becomes a tortoise; a flying saucer hovers above the newspaper reader. Then: “Do they even exist?… / What if there is nothing at all beyond the walls of my room?” Happily, morning reveals a flute-playing neighbor in apartment 13, a child just the narrator’s size, dressed in yellow. The stable compositions and calm tone give the inquiry a sense of whimsy and wonder; there is no existential terror here. Narrator and neighbors present White.

A thoughtful, restrained reverie. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-4521-7775-5

Page Count: 44

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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READ ALL ABOUT IT!

by Benjamin Hall ; illustrated by Martina Motzo ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2026

Visually sweet, though hampered by disjointed storytelling.

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In this picture book from Fox News journalist Hall, a young hedgehog must find a way to protect his community when peril looms.

Hedgehog and his father both have busy days ahead. Dad’s on his way to the newspaper to report “what new news the news brings.” Hedgehog packs his backpack for an adventure, mindful of Dad’s rules: “Don’t talk to strangers” and “never ever cross the river alone.” Obeying the rules proves difficult when Hedgehog notices commotion on the other side of the river: A bear is hungrily eyeing Baby Owl, who’s fallen from her tree. With creative thinking, Hedgehog frightens off the bear and alerts Mama Owl, but the predator is still at large. So Hedgehog and Mama Owl create flyers to warn the forest residents. Though Motzo’s airy illustrations are pleasing—particularly the adorably animated Hedgehog, a tribute to Hall’s own children—the narrative feels bogged down with multiple themes as it attempts to explore the power of the written word, the importance of community, and the need to adhere to a parent’s rules. When Hedgehog apologizes for his apparent disobedience, Dad explains that Hedgehog never actually broke the rules; turns out it’s OK to cross the river in the company of an adult, and Mama Owl’s no stranger (she’s the town librarian, whom Hedgehog sees every week). The back-and-forth may leave readers confused; it also feels like a missed opportunity to discuss how to identify trustworthy adults.

Visually sweet, though hampered by disjointed storytelling. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 3, 2026

ISBN: 9780063357549

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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MAYA'S BIG QUESTION

From the Ambitious Girl series , Vol. 3

by Meena Harris ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2026

Another empowering outing led by a dynamic young role model.

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The third title in the Ambitious Girl series finds young Maya wanting accomplished women to get their due.

On a school trip to Washington, D.C., brown-skinned, bubble-braided Maya is full of questions, among them “How many representatives are there?” and, while checking out the statues and monuments, “Where are all the women?” Maya’s teacher tells her that they’ve seen all the “popular” statues and monuments. Maya is as dogged (“But what about Eleanor Roosevelt? Or Mary McLeod Bethune?”) as her teacher is dismissive: “Those aren’t on my list.” (Maya’s teacher follows the same list every trip.) Back at home, Maya is newly awakened to the lack of female representation in her orbit—she notices that streets and “even her own school” are named for men. Is there anything she can do about this? Maya’s teacher’s cluelessness feels a bit implausible, more like a plot device to steer the story in the right direction, but Maya’s righteous indignation is believable, and her corresponding activism will energize readers. Valdez gets into the spirit of things with her invigorating digital art: Maya and her multiethnic classmates and neighbors are colorful dressers with smiling faces, which fosters a sense that wherever Maya goes, a warm and ebullient community is there for her.

Another empowering outing led by a dynamic young role model. (Picture book. 5-8)