An engaging tale about finding one’s voice and making faraway connections.
Two young girls learn about their respective cultures through a pen-pal program in Bleckwehl’s middle-grade novel.
Smart, quiet Neyah Jabari is a 12-year-old girl who lives in Letsokoane, a village in Kenya. Fetching water for various family and community needs is by far the most crucial chore assigned to her, as it affects the lives of everyone around her; for example, if there were no water for the cows, they wouldn’t be able to produce milk to feed families. Bibi, Neyah’s wise paternal grandmother, tells her that “Water is life,” but for the girl, who dreams of being a doctor, the fact that her own life is tied to retrieving water impedes her future by keeping her out of school for several days at a time. In addition, the local water scarcity is compounded by water uncleanliness. Through a pen-pal exchange initiated by her school’s encouraging headmaster, Neyah becomes friends with Abby Larson, a 12-year-old girl in Minnesota. Their interactions give Neyah the courage to speak up and work toward bringing a change to her village. There’s no lack of tragedy in this story, but there are also insightful lessons about tradition and the fear of change (involving Neyah’s father), showing compassion and finding silver linings (involving Neyah’s friend Malaika), and using persuasive writing skills and remaining persistent despite rejections. Bleckwehl doesn’t shy away from portraying the harsh living conditions in Neyah’s village, but she skillfully builds the beauty of it into the narrative by including dialogue that shows appreciation for its flora and fauna.
An engaging tale about finding one’s voice and making faraway connections.Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781953491558
Page Count: 290
Publisher: Immortal Works Press
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics.
An angry child attempts to calm down.
A kid with paper-white skin, clad in a blue dress and striped tights, makes an absurd request: “Can we get a pet penguin, name it Marshmallow, and feed it carrots?” Mom, off-stage, says simply, “Not today,” and the tot transforms into a rather odd creature: a spicy nugget! The nugget is imperfectly ovoid in form, with red rosy cheeks, rage-filled dot-eyes, and a spiraling black-hole mouth. The sight gag works beautifully: When one feels truly angry, all poise disappears, leaving only a flailing ball of rage. Our protagonist hurls a teddy bear, unsuccessfully tries out a list of calming methods, and finally retreats to bed, where “I can feel my breathing; I know that I am safe.” The youngster reverts back to human form, and Mom arrives with kind words: “You are not your big feelings. You are not your angry thoughts.” The takeaway is unmistakable, especially at the story’s conclusion: It’s OK to get mad and important to practice coping strategies. The young narrator expresses emotion with fabulous vigor, though the story’s lilting rhyme scheme occasionally distracts from these outbursts with cuteness. Nonetheless, this increasingly enraged nugget-child is irresistible; anyone who’s grappled with overwhelming emotions will relate—in a word, everyone.
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798217042142
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
© Copyright 2026 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.
