This lyrical blessing of a picture book belongs on every shelf.
“And in every life, / blessed is the love.”
Frazee’s author’s note explains that she was inspired to write this text when she “heard a call-and-response version of a Jewish baby-naming blessing and immediately felt its potential as a picture book.” After several false starts, she began working on it in 2020, “when so many things about our world were upended,” and the following year, her first grandchild was born. In its inclusive, warmhearted celebration of community, family, and life itself, the resulting book feels like a melding of earlier titles Frazee illustrated: Everywhere Babies (2001) by Susan Meyers and All the World (2009) by Liz Garton Scanlon. While the realistic art style is akin to that of those books, the text is sparer, with pacing grounded in the call-and-response inspiration: “In every birth,” reads the opening verso, with the resolution on the facing page reading, “blessed is the wonder.” Accompanying vignettes of babies cared for by young and old people alike invite readers to speculate about relationships and to delight in the loving, diverse depictions. Then the page turn reveals a full-bleed vista of a couple with a baby looking at the sunrise, pink clouds filling the sky. Once established, this pattern—of a call-and-response spread illustrated with vignettes followed by a wordless full-bleed spread of a single family in nature—carries through the entire book, providing opportunities for observation, conversation, and reflection. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This lyrical blessing of a picture book belongs on every shelf. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-248-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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
BOOK REVIEW
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