A sunny celebration of nature, friendship, and sustainability.
Many hands make better work.
On a warm, sunny day, a child (who narrates) and a woman called Aunty Koko—both of whom present East Asian—steer a bright orange raft down a meandering river. Immersive details—Aunty’s paddle flipping cool water droplets onto the youngster’s neck, damp earth that “smells like mud pies from Mother Earth’s bakery”—invite readers into this natural world. The raft passes tall pines lining the shores, high rocky cliffs, and verdant fields as the child and aunt wave to people on the shore—a diverse array of children and adults who are picnicking, playing in the mud amid butterflies, soothing a hurt knee, celebrating a birthday, and more. But where are the protagonist and Aunty Koko going? Their raft soon enters a wide pond, filled with garbage. The true purpose of this magical day is revealed: to clean up the water by collecting trash—a daunting task for the rafting pair until they are joined by their new friends, and, as the child narrator says, “we make ripples.” Poetic, spare text is filled with onomatopoetic delights: the “fwap, fwap, fwap” of bird wings; the "drip, drip, drip” and “PLOP” of paddle strokes. Yamasaki’s signature vibrant palette features warm, near-saturated hues of green, blue, and brown that evoke the brightness and joy of the day.
A sunny celebration of nature, friendship, and sustainability. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781324053941
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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
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