Gay picture books are unfortunately still rare enough that they all matter regardless of literary and artistic quality. This one happens to be stilted and static. Rosie’s Mom and Mum are getting married. Rosie’s only concern is whether or not she’ll get to be a flower girl, ring-bearer, or something else crucial to the ceremony (which she wishes would be bigger and fancier than it is). The concept and rightness of this two-mother family (and the same-sex marriage itself) are never questioned; there is no antagonist of the type often created specifically to facilitate a tolerance message. However, Setterington’s text plods along, feeling forced. Priestley’s drawings, though brightly colored, lack vibrancy and feel stale. This clearly deliberate piece has a worthy agenda and will stand in until better quality versions come along. Artistically tepid but socially valuable. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2005
ISBN: 1-896764-84-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Semiotext(e)
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An upbeat tale with a much-needed message: Imagination and positivity can save the day.
In this picture book from pop star Kevin Jonas and his wife, TV personality Danielle Jonas, a rainy day forces a child to find an alternate way to enjoy the beach.
Family beach day is one of Bella’s favorite things. She loves splashing in the waves, jumping from rock to rock, and building sand castles. Today, however, the weather isn’t cooperating, but Bella isn’t upset. “It will just have to stop raining. That’s all.” Disappointment sets in when her family tells her that beach day is off. Teary Bella rejects suggested indoor pastimes like board games, musical jam sessions, or reading stories together, and she retreats to her room. Dejected, Bella consoles herself with her stuffed bunny, Mr. Bonkers, until her parents and sister, Emma, knock on her door with a surprise: “BEDROOM BEACH DAY!” With just a few household items—a big lamp for the sun, a fan for the ocean breeze, a blue blanket for water, and pillows for rocks—and a large dose of imagination, Bella’s bedroom is transformed. A flexible attitude from all helps Bella—and readers—realize that things may not always go as planned…but sometimes they can be even better than we expected. Whimsical, cartoonish drawings and a dialogue-driven narrative turn a setback into an uplifting family experience. Bella and her family are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An upbeat tale with a much-needed message: Imagination and positivity can save the day. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9780593352106
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
It is a land and waterscape that reaches right down into our primordial souls—the beach, here given full iconic treatment. Using scant couplets to convey the most elemental pleasures of a day at the beach, and enticingly depicted in Smith's watercolors, this will call up memories of any reader who has spent time on the ocean's shore. From that first rush down the dunes and onto the strand—“Waves roar, / Rush, and soar! / Rolling, crashing / To the shore"—to the tramp back out—“Sun-warmed skin, contented grin"—it is an experience unlike any other and Roosa's got it just right. Sandcastles, swimming, softball, snoozing. Pictured details entice: kicking off one's shoes, chasing sand crabs, enjoying trays of yummy lunch. "Noon light / Shimmers bright / In the distance, / Hot and white." Appetite and taste take on a special edge, and then the hit of post-lunch languor: "Waves lapping/ Babies napping / On the water / Sails are snapping." Good stuff, simple and viscerally transporting, the waft of salt strong from the page. Over too soon. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 19, 2001
ISBN: 0-618-02923-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
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