A compassionate, tender, and necessary read.
A child battles anxiety and invasive thoughts in Bournelis’ debut children’s novella.
Louie’s anxiety is spinning out of control. His 10th birthday is coming up, but he won’t be able to have a birthday party with friends due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Making things worse is the Dictator—an inner voice that constantly tells Louie that if he doesn’t do as he says, there will be catastrophic consequences. Louie tries to ignore it, but in the end, the Dictator always seems to win out: He makes Louie check his bag several times to make sure there are two masks in it; tells him to take rubber gloves to school even though he’s not allowed to wear them there; and insists that Louie must rewrite the answers for a math quiz until the numbers perfectly fit the boxes. The Dictator’s voice becomes stronger the more Louie’s anxiety ratchets up, telling him he’s “going to be in so much TROUBLE” numerous times a day. One day, the Dictator tells him his favorite dish is poisoned, so Louie refuses to eat it. His mom becomes upset, and, because Louie knows his situation is worsening, he asks her for help. His parents take him to see someone they call a “mind wizard” who diagnoses him with obsessive-compulsive disorder and gives him strategies to deal with the Dictator. The novel is narrated from Louie’s perspective, effectively focusing on his emotions as he deals with paralyzing anxiety on a daily basis. Louie also models proactive behavior as he gets help, takes his sessions seriously, and begins to improve. In addition, Bournelis reveals how her protagonist makes assertive decisions to “plan a crushing counterattack” against the Dictator; she also shows how his newfound courage is put to the test when his beloved dog, Bailey, gets lost. The text is punctuated by occasional, uncredited black-and-white illustrations of Louie that are well executed. The story will create awareness about mental health issues in children as it empowers its protagonist to change his own life.
A compassionate, tender, and necessary read.Pub Date: July 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-228-85768-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
After a promising start, this autumnal offering ultimately disappoints.
Change is on the horizon for a trio of leaves at home in the branches of various trees in a park.
When the air grows chilly, Birch, Oak, and Maple all experience different emotions. Birch is optimistic and expectant, Oak is cautious and reluctant, and obstinate Maple feels left out as the other leaves change colors but she doesn’t. Illustrations rendered in acrylic gouache, colored pencil, and collage depict endearingly anthropomorphized leaves, with autumnal colors that pop. As the leaves learn more about fall from a pair of knowledgeable squirrels, Maple’s slow change to red is overshadowed by her impatience to join her friends. It’s only when she pulls herself free that she learns about the downside of fall—namely, the bottoms of boots, rain gutters, and rakes. Much like the shift from the bright crisp early days of autumn to the damp cold ones later in the season, it’s here that the story changes, going from a surprisingly nuanced examination of growth to something fluffy and less interesting. A young girl with straight black hair and tan skin finds the fallen leaves and takes them home, where she draws them as anthropomorphic characters, and all discussion of the importance of change is lost. Caregivers looking for a springboard to a discussion about growing up and the uncertainty of change may find this useful, but its sputtering ending detracts from its early momentum. Maybe next year will bring a more promising crop of leaves. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
After a promising start, this autumnal offering ultimately disappoints. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-358-41945-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
A full-hearted valentine.
A soaring panegyric to elementary school as a communal place to learn and grow.
“This is a kid,” Schu begins. “This is a kid in a class. This is a class in a hall….” If that class—possibly second graders, though they could be a year to either side of that—numbers only about a dozen in Jamison’s bright paintings, it makes up for that in diversity, with shiny faces of variously brown or olive complexion well outnumbering paler ones; one child using a wheelchair; and at least two who appear to be Asian. (The adult staff is likewise racially diverse.) The children are individualized in the art, but the author’s narrative is addressed more to an older set of readers as it runs almost entirely to collective nouns and abstract concepts: “We share. We help. / This is a community, growing.” Younger audiences will zero in on the pictures, which depict easily recognizable scenes of both individual and collective learning and play, with adults and classmates always on hand to help out or join in. Signs of conflict are unrealistically absent, but an occasional downcast look does add a bit of nuance to the general air of eager positivity on display. A sad face at an apartment window with a comment that “[s]ometimes something happens, and we can’t all be together” can be interpreted as an oblique reference to pandemic closings, but the central message here is that school is a physical space, not a virtual one, where learning and community happen. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A full-hearted valentine. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0458-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
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