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ONE CAN

Name: ONE CAN
Author: Lana Button
ISBN: 9781773067346

by Lana Button & Eric Walters ; illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 2, 2025

A perfectly calibrated introduction to the concept of economic differences.

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Child-friendly lessons in interdependence.

The pale-skinned, dark-haired young narrator attends a diverse school with a communal ethos. A “mitten tree” makes these accessories available for those in need, though the protagonist sticks with a too-small blue pair (they “make the best snowballs”), and the students are involved with a food drive. The youngster’s class’s goal is to place one can on each of the 100 squares on a numbered carpet. The child contributes a favorite can of noodles, despite Mom’s warning that she might not be able to replace it. That can is number 100; everyone cheers, and the teacher affixes a snowflake sticker. Days later, Mom comes home with a pair of bigger red mittens from the tree and a can of the noodles, bearing that snowflake sticker. “Are we the people in need?” the narrator asks. Mom gently explains that they get help when they need it and give when they have something extra. Later, the child puts the beloved blue mittens on the donation tree, with a personal note. This simple yet brilliant explanation of mutual aid is illustrated in confident fine lines and soft but bright color against minimalist backgrounds. The text is finely tuned to a child’s understanding, avoiding condescension or the implication that young people should feel shame at requiring assistance (or superiority at having the privilege to give); the focus is on considering what the recipient needs—and what we can give.

A perfectly calibrated introduction to the concept of economic differences. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025

ISBN: 9781773067346

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME TO LEAVE, LAVERNE!
by Lana Button ; illustrated by Yong Ling Kang

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BRIANNA BANANA, WORST SURPRISE EVER
by Lana Button ; illustrated by Suharu Ogawa

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BRIANNA BANANA, HELPER OF THE DAY
by Lana Button ; illustrated by Suharu Ogawa

- PERSPECTIVES
3 Picture Books That Cultivate Empathy in Kids

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK LOST AND FOUND

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.

After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9780063436121

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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)