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I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY LOVE MY SPOTS

Name: I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY LOVE MY SPOTS
Author: Lid’ya C. Rivera
ISBN: 9780063119970

by Lid’ya C. Rivera ; illustrated by Niña Mata ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 6, 2023

Much-needed encouragement to love the skin we’re in.

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A Black girl with vitiligo celebrates what makes her different.

This utterly charming picture book from vitiligo advocate Rivera exudes self-love from cover to cover. The story opens with the protagonist admiring herself in the mirror: “I stand up and I stand out / I am the light and the spark.” She admires the beauty marks on her face, hands, and legs. Others are curious about her “patches,” “dots,” or “blotches.” The child introduces the term vitiligo to explain why her skin looks the way it does. Her mother tells her, “Vitiligo makes you YOU!” while her father says she’s “royalty through and through.” The young protagonist proudly proclaims, “My skin is fly!” Whether she is playing in a cardboard house, floating paper boats in a stream during a rainy day at the park, or attending art class, her confidence is infectious. Depicting a diverse community, Mata’s digital illustrations are full of texture and joy; the protagonist cuts an undeniably endearing figure. In an author’s note, Rivera discusses the bullying she confronted growing up due to her vitiligo; she also includes photos of herself as a child, a brief explanation of the condition, and a short glossary of terms such as depigmentation and melanin. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Much-needed encouragement to love the skin we’re in. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: June 6, 2023

ISBN: 9780063119970

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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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)