When a boy reads a book about birds, his imagination takes flight. Multicolored acrylic paintings on bright, spare backgrounds narrow the focus straight to the boy and his dreams of taking wing with some colorful feathered friends. When asked, the boy’s father explains that the boy can’t fly because he doesn’t have wings—he has arms and hands instead. More “why” questions follow, resulting in the boy being hugged, swung and tossed, until he soars through the air with the help of his father. The minimal, dialogue-only text works well, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the illustrations and perhaps add some description of their own. Sitting together in an armchair, the boy and his father then embark on a new reading selection about fish. Questions about fins seem sure to follow! An engaging and effective father-son story in which the main characters are black and race is not presented as an issue, this is a charming introduction to the worlds of books, birds and imagination, and an apt choice for parent-child reading. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-56145-430-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2009
A useful primer for socioemotional growth.
Queer Eye star Karamo Brown and his son Jason “Rachel” Brown affirm that all feelings—even negative ones—are OK.
A round-faced boy with brown skin, big brown eyes, and a bright smile walks outside, talking with his dad about feelings. With the son’s speech printed in blue and Dad’s in black, the boy announces that he’s happy and shows it by jumping and spinning while Dad dances. The book’s palette, which often reflects the boy’s emotional state, shifts drastically when a thunderstorm blows in as the sky swirls with patterns in deep blue and purple, and a thick yellow lightning bolt blasts through—a dramatic scene that represents the boy’s perception of the turbulent weather as he sits on the ground crying, hugging his knees. Dad assures him that it’s all right to feel and express fear and helps him calm these negative emotions by encouraging him to stretch and breathe deeply. While the book’s lesson is conveyed in a slightly heavy-handed manner, it’s a good message, and readers will appreciate seeing a story that centers a Black father and son dispelling the stereotype that men and boys—especially those of color—don’t or shouldn’t express emotions. The backmatter includes an emotion wheel with the boy showing a range of facial expressions, accompanied by activities and questions. The acronym “FEEL OKAY” offers opportunities to practice discussing emotions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A useful primer for socioemotional growth. (authors’ note) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63893-010-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Zando
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Read this aloud to complement apple units or family trips to the orchard.
Family history reveals itself as applesauce is lovingly made from hand-picked fruit.
Maria narrates the story of an annual family outing. Her white urban family packs their car with the large pot, symbol of this special day, in addition to their bushel baskets. First stop is the apple orchard, where everyone, including toddler Ezra, joins in the picking. Then it’s on to Grandma’s rural house. Grandma wears an old-fashioned apron over her jeans, and everyone else dons one, too. The preparations begin, using the big pot, while Mom reminisces about getting apples with Grandma at a farm stand “in their quiet Ohio town, and how they cooked them in this very pot when she was a little girl.” Grandma talks about “how she helped her mother pick apples from the old apple tree behind their house on the windy Iowa prairie, and how they too cooked them in this pot when she was a little girl.” Observant readers will notice the same aprons being worn for several generations as well. The action shifts back to today. “Crank! Squish! Crankity! Squish!” goes the food mill as Grandma helps Maria and younger sister Hannah prepare the apples once they are cooked. The exuberant, soft-edged paintings show a happy family working together, and the generational continuity lends an extra dimension to a simple story.
Read this aloud to complement apple units or family trips to the orchard. (recipe, additional facts) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8075-0392-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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