A somewhat simplified but poignant depiction of childhood depression.
A young South Asian girl is devastated when her dad takes a job that keeps him away from his family for long periods.
Mandeep loves spending time with her father. Together, the two sip cha, dance bhangra, and write jokes in Mandeep’s journal. So when Dad is hired as a long-distance truck driver, Mandeep immediately slips into a stormy sadness. At school, she runs out of the classroom when her well-meaning teacher tells her to pay attention, and at home, her mother’s suggestion to clean her room fills her with uncontrollable rage. Although her friends and family try to cheer her up, nothing works until she opens her journal and lets it all out, writing about how much she misses her father and describing all the things he wasn’t here to experience. The practice of journaling eases her turmoil; Mandeep can function once more—and even feel happiness. The author deftly portrays the signs of childhood depression, making space for the protagonist’s negative feelings. While the characters aren't explicitly described as Sikh, the book incorporates elements of Sikh culture, such as Dad’s turban. Though the resolution feels somewhat oversimplified—such intense emotional distress would likely call for methods beyond journaling such as therapy—overall, it opens up an important conversation about grief, loss, and coping. Making use of arresting imagery and intense colors, the illustrations convey the depth of Mandeep’s anguish.
A somewhat simplified but poignant depiction of childhood depression. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781773219059
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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