A sensitive introduction to grief and to Jewish mourning rituals.
A child helps a friend grapple with the loss of a relative.
Lizzie’s mother is making brownies to take to Joshua’s house; Joshua’s grandfather has just died, and, as Mom explains, he and his family are sitting shiva, the Jewish period of mourning. At Joshua’s home, people explain various customs to Lizzie, like ritual handwashing and covering mirrors. Though informative, these moments sometimes feel a bit clunky, clearly intended to educate readers unfamiliar with shiva rather than advance the narrative. Rabbi Sarah arrives to lead prayers and hold space for the family to share stories about Joshua’s grandpa. The family’s dog, Queenie, provides moments of levity, keeping the serious topic from becoming overwhelming and demonstrating that it’s OK to laugh even amid grief. After, Lizzie sits with Joshua while he cries and recalls his grandfather telling him to nosh on something sweet every day, because life shouldn’t be bitter. Joshua decides to eat two brownies—one for himself, and one for his grandpa—representing the sweetness that exists even in times of sorrow. Newman handles the complexity of loss with care and authenticity in an age-appropriate way. Rich’s muted, expressive watercolors are well suited to the gently solemn tone of the story. Lizzie and Mom are brown-skinned, while Joshua and his family are lighter-skinned; their community is diverse.
A sensitive introduction to grief and to Jewish mourning rituals. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781623545710
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
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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