Lam’s words and drawings offer tangible evidence to the intangible love between siblings.
For the first time, a boy walks his younger sister home all by himself.
Big brother is proud of his newfound responsibility: walking his little sister home from the school bus stop. He takes his duty very seriously as he tries to keep up with his sister’s boundless energy. The narrator keeps a watchful eye on little sister as she picks up trinkets, chases dogs, and hides from squirrels. Even though he thinks the trinkets she collects are trash, he doesn’t discourage her curiosity. He thoughtfully answers her many questions. The siblings stop for a quick game of medieval knights, dueling with tree branches. Little sister slips on a puddle when their walk is interrupted by a thunderstorm. Big brother soothes her and they make it home after the storm passes. Lam captures the earnest relationship between young siblings. Her soft-colored pencil-and-watercolor illustrations flow with little sister’s energy. Young readers will relate to the siblings’ animated reactions to each part of their walk. Her characters’ simple facial features are boldly expressive with just a few lines. Asian-American Lam’s siblings and mom are black-haired and golden-skinned, though their physiognomies are ethnically ambiguous.
Lam’s words and drawings offer tangible evidence to the intangible love between siblings. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-239697-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A smart, stealth bedtime tale.
A brown bear tries his best to slumber through winter.
Winter has come, and the snow has begun to pile high. Deep in his cave Bear tosses and turns, unable to fall asleep. Mouse arrives to check on his friend’s hibernation and is startled to find Bear still awake. Mouse brews some tea, but when that doesn’t work, Mouse enlists other woodland critters to help get bear to sleep. Lullabies, warm milk, and bedtime tales ensue. Bear and his pals are presented in Chapman’s trademark warm-colored, thin-lined illustrations, which flip-flop between double-page spreads and full-bleed, full-page illustrations opposed by vignettes in ovals. Scenes in Bear’s cozy den, his growing band of animal friends gathered in concern, have a rustic charm; one illustration, in which all the animals “hum,” depicts them with mouths open wide, but it’s so doggone cute readers won’t quibble. The text is composed in rhythmic, rhyming verse, paced to slowly but surely get little readers to feel their eyelids begin to weigh just a little bit more with each turn of the page; the refrain, variations on “And the bear / can’t / sleep!” will have readers chiming in before the final page quotes Bear’s first outing and provides resolution: “but the bear / snores / on!” Many little ones will be ready to turn in afterward as well.
A smart, stealth bedtime tale. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5973-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
Warmly buoyant.
A Black family of four enjoys a day at the pool.
Readers may recognize two of the family members from Bolling and Juanita’s Together We Ride (2022), which centered on a father teaching his young daughter to ride a bike. This latest takes a similar tack, as the mother now helps her young son learn to swim. The child is uncertain, but with her encouragement, he dips a toe into the water and picks up the fundamentals: lifting his head above the water, floating, pumping his arms and legs. There are snafus along the way—the child initially sinks, but Mom is right there. Finally the boy strikes out to swim, “On my own, / in the zone.” The whole family is reassuring, cheering the child on. Big sister does the backstroke and a handstand, displaying the confidence the little one is still learning. Brief but upbeat rhyming verses will especially appeal to beginning readers. Juanita’s carefully composed, muted line illustrations shine in the details, from swim bonnets on Mom and big sister to a mermaid tattoo on Dad’s side. Touching moments in the art pair well with the text. Black family pride and joy abound—this is a family that allows its little ones the space to make forays into independence while supporting them every step of the way. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Warmly buoyant. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781797212494
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
