Not yet affirming.
A British import presents an allegory about self-knowledge, acceptance, and, maybe, coming out.
George’s grandad, mom, dad, and older sister are all yetis—all of them but George. George asks his grandad, dad, and older sister: “When will I be a yeti?” Each of them give him various responses: “When you can survive alone on a frozen mountain, waiting to lure stray hikers to their DOOM,” or “when you can chase people round the mountain until they SCREAM with TERROR.” Not wild about those options, George turns to Mom, who asks, “Do you want to be a yeti?” He thinks about it only to realize that he wants to be a unicorn. At the moment when George realizes his innermost desire, Neal depicts a rainbow bridge atop which gambol pastel unicorns holding balloons, riding a bicycle, and blowing bubbles. In a decision that feels odd for a book about nonconformity, Mom dons pink pearls and an apron, older sister wears pink bows, and Grandad and Dad are aggressive and loud, all reinforcing gender stereotypes. The title of the book goes for alliteration and humor but seems to lack forethought. If the yetis are a metaphor for normative culture, then what is the book saying about them? Treleaven delivers a well-meaning message inclusive of self-definition and acceptance—but readers should consider opting for Jessica Love’s Julián Is a Mermaid (2018) instead.
Not yet affirming. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-84886-414-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Maverick Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
The story’s slight but allows kids to practice identifying and dealing with their own big feelings.
The diverse group of kids from All Are Welcome (2018) this time gathers in a vacant lot with tools in hand to clear the debris and make something new. But therein lies the rub: What should the something new be? While the exact nature of the disagreement is unfortunately not made clear to readers, the big feelings that the children exhibit are very clear (and for readers who need practice reading facial clues, there’s a labeled chart of 15 in the frontmatter). This book’s refrain is “How can I help? / What can we do?” And the answers, spread over several pages and not spelled out in so many words but rather shown in the illustrations, are: talk it through, compromise, and see things from another perspective. As a guide for dealing with feelings and problem-solving, the book is a bit slim and lacks a solid story to hook readers. But, as with its predecessor, its strength is again the diversity on display in its pages. There’s a rainbow of skin tones and hair colors as well as abundant variation in hair texture, several children exhibit visible disabilities, including one child who uses a wheelchair, and there are markers of religious and cultural diversity. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 29.6% of actual size.)
The story’s slight but allows kids to practice identifying and dealing with their own big feelings. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-525-57974-8
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
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