Stunning and essential.
A child grapples with the strange largeness of grief.
Where do our loved ones go when they walk on, and what does that mean for those who miss them? This poignant meditation on loss centers on the household that a grandmother leaves behind as life goes on. As the family packs up her home, each chore offers an opportunity to ponder what she’s doing elsewhere, earthly tasks made magnificent by the wonders of an unknowable beyond—perhaps she waters a garden, growing titanic sequoias or herbaceous jungles; perhaps she’s fishing, nabbing a dinnertime catch with the help of a friendly whale. All the while, her grandchild moves through their previously shared space, navigating death’s contradictions and confronting tensions between the permanence of loss and the material proof of life interrupted. The narrative’s conclusion leaves readers with a vital reminder: Mortality unifies humanity, but remembrance and the momentum that it inspires suggest an afterlife without end. The text’s treatment of grief is masterful and accessible, exploring the experience of loss with affirmative nuance, while captivating visuals emphasize the permeability between life and what lies ahead; the windy tendrils done in rainbow colors are especially affecting. Maillard (Seminole Nation) and Mexican illustrator López hail from cultures with distinct death traditions, each of which is touched on individually in informational backmatter. The protagonists are brown-skinned, and references to both creators’ heritages are woven into the artwork. Supporting characters are racially diverse.
Stunning and essential. (author’s and illustrator’s notes, recipe) (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781250821980
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Another empowering outing led by a dynamic young role model.
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)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780316561341
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
