An unnamed young girl tells readers how the empty lot down the street from her urban apartment became her dream playground—and the part she played in its unfolding.
Becker traces the beginnings of a city playground to a young girl who spends every afternoon drawing pictures of her dream playground. Encouraged by her mother to “[n]ever stop dreaming,” she is unsurprised but thrilled to see a man arrive at the lot with a measuring tape and clipboard—she knows he is there to build her playground. Grabbing her drawings, she approaches him, and so begins a business relationship, with her serving as the project manager. Darell consults her on every aspect of the playground’s design, and after months of planning, the whole community, the young girl included, comes together as volunteers to make the dream playground a reality. Henry’s digital illustrations have the look and feel of watercolors, and the pages of the young girl’s drawings are charmingly childlike in their detail, execution and use of imagination. An author’s note tells of the real-life little girl who inspired this story. For those who want to take a more active role in making their dreams a reality, nonprofit KaBOOM! has a website for communities to plan, fundraise and build their own playgrounds. This book may inspire more than dreams. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5531-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
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
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.
Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
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