by Lerch & illustrated by Lerch ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2010
A jaunty, optimistic but lonely fish needs a friend. He swims about in his bowl enthusiastically trying to engage the attention of pebbles and a diver statue. Even the bubbles, with whom he tries to converse in their language, just float to the surface and disappear. In a nice twist, it is the cat that plays matchmaker when he introduces Lerch, to whom he gives the name Lunch, to a lady fish named Dinah, also known as Dinner. The new friends hold fins and swim happily ever after… maybe. Ostensibly written and illustrated by Lerch himself, the work is formatted in exaggerated comic-book style with bright, heavily outlined, large-scale cartoons rendered in ink and Photoshop. Lerch displays every emotion with outsized, over-the-top facial expressions. Extremely limited vocabulary placed in large word balloons and frequently repeated makes it appealing and accessible to the youngest readers. The fun continues with the biographical information on the jacket, where Lerch gives some credit to his caretaker, James Proimos. Good solid nonsense. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-09419-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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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...
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
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by Aly Raisman ; illustrated by Bea Jackson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2024
Necessary and empowering.
Olympic gold medalist Raisman, who in 2017 spoke out about the sexual abuse she’d endured, presents a primer on bodily autonomy.
“I am strong. I am beautiful. I am unique. I am enough.” So begin the affirmations that appear in this sensitively written book. Raisman underscores the importance of being kind to one’s body and listening to what it needs. She notes that others need to ask permission before touching our bodies; sometimes the answer will be yes, but other times, it will be no. Either is acceptable. Sometimes, someone will forget to ask or won’t respect the answer. When that happens, children can tell them to stop. If they feel unsafe, and it’s hard to say no, they can ask for help from people who make them feel safe. Our voices are just as “powerful,” “beautiful,” and “worthy” as our bodies. Emphasizing the strength inherent in every person—and making clear that we all deserve respect—Raisman has created a much-needed resource for starting a dialogue about consent. Backmatter offers tips for adults about discussing bodies and boundaries. Jackson’s expressive, pastorally soft illustrations depict people, diverse in terms of race, ability, and body type, practicing gymnastics, gardening, and playing basketball. A light-skinned girl wearing a shirt reading “Aly,” presumably a stand-in for the author, features prominently.
Necessary and empowering. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781250798107
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
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by Aly Raisman with Blythe Lawrence
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