A sweet and tender proclamation of parental predestination that will catch babies’ eyes.
New parents welcome an addition to the family.
On the first spread, readers see a medical professional passing a swaddled newborn into a pair of eager hands. “Of all the babies that are born, it had to be YOU,” the text begins. Subsequent spreads show the first-time parents driving home over what could easily be the Brooklyn Bridge, getting settled in their city apartment, and bonding with their tiny munchkin. As father and mother shower the infant with love, the text proclaims their adoration, emphasizing that the little one was destined to be theirs. The use of anaphora intensifies the emotion of the poem/story and creates a driving rhythm that underscores the sheer force of parental love. The illustrations are rendered in a high-contrast, black-and-white palette with pops of red. Given that babies see in only black and white just after birth and then see red first as their color vision develops, the artwork is deliberately designed with the littlest of readers in mind. The human characters have straight hair and appear as white silhouettes against black negative space. On one spread showing the family sitting together on grass, the mother is wearing what could be a hijab.
A sweet and tender proclamation of parental predestination that will catch babies’ eyes. (Board book. 0-4)Pub Date: Dec. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-308633-3
Page Count: 22
Publisher: HarperFestival
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
This brief biography makes Frank’s writing an effective introductory focus for young readers.
Anne Frank’s story of confinement for several years after the Nazi takeover of the Netherlands, including her tragic death, is simply but accessibly told.
Marshall introduces Anne as an individual. “As a baby, Anne cried. LOUD. As a toddler, she was silly and made everyone laugh. And as a little girl, she spoke her mind.” Marshall intersperses this account with brief historical interludes. An image of Anne and her friend throwing water on people from a balcony is indicative of her happy early childhood, but by 1940 the Nazis invaded the Netherlands. When she receives her diary for her 13th birthday, the text notes that Anne “wrote about new rules that stopped her—and all Jews—from riding bikes, going to movies, playing in public parks, and attending public schools.” Children will understand how these restrictions would change life immeasurably. Marshall chronicles the Franks’ time in the Secret Annex with short, poetic sentences about what Anne wrote. The flat illustrations show Anne with her dark hair and intense eyes in happy and sad times, the lack of depth emphasizing Anne’s confinement. History is reflected on several pages with darker palettes that include maps to help readers understand the proximity of Germany to the countries it conquered. The last spread celebrates Anne’s legacy.
This brief biography makes Frank’s writing an effective introductory focus for young readers. (afterword, timeline, author's note, sources, bibliography, websites) (Picture book/biography. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-31229-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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A lovely dream to offer any child.
Girls of various races are encouraged to “dream big,” show courage, and make change.
This companion to the (nearly) simultaneously publishing Songs for Our Sons (Oct. 6) is composed of mostly rhyming verses addressed to a child in the second person, celebrating her existence (“we’ve been waiting for you”) and encouraging her bold individuality (“Be brave and believe in / your own guiding star”). The text is prescriptive, telling the child what to do (“Climb trees, make potions, / run wild, and have fun”) and who to be (a “fearless defender,” “a time-traveler,” “a stargazer, a trailmaker”). With a focus on freedom, fun, and connection with nature, these commands read as wishes for the children listening to the story and for the children acting them out. The playful illustrations show tiny, diverse people—most with long hair, one wearing hijab—being courageous and strong, practicing joy, and caring for the Earth, the expansive trim size adding to the sense that there are no limits. The girls practice magic and sports, they read, dance, protest, plant, sing, and ride on the backs of birds. The rhythmic text is almost as fun to read as Seuss and with more interesting words: “lead your rainbow-nation / in a wild, sky-diving, multicolored / murmuration.” Readers who revel in sound, dream, and color will enjoy sharing this poetic experience.
A lovely dream to offer any child. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5558-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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