bookshelf

MAYA PLAYS THE PIANO

Name: MAYA PLAYS THE PIANO
Author: Maya and Jello

by Maya and Jello ; illustrated by Gustyawan ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

A cheerful but uneven celebration of music with simple vocabulary and repeated phrases.

bookshelf

A young girl takes her first piano lesson in this rhyming picture-book sequel.

Three-year-old Maya walks with her family to piano lessons, where teacher Miss Corrie introduces middle C. Maya is fascinated by the instrument: “Excited! / Maya, really wanted to learn. / She could not wait / Until her turn.” When Maya gets up to the piano, she sees a bumblebee sticker on the middle C. She pushes the key and makes up a song, which she sings and practices at home, entertaining her whole family. The rhymes by the author, who uses the pen name Maya and Jello, scan well, especially when emphasis is added (“en-TRANC-ing”). The frequent refrain of Maya’s song, which has basic, repetitive lyrics, will allow lap readers to chime in and say the words. But the lyrics, which are about not touching middle C, seem to contradict the story, in which Maya plays the note with gusto. Gustyawan’s digital cartoon illustrations feature a wonderfully expressive Maya and expand the cast to include the brown-skinned Miss Corrie and two pale-skinned piano students. (Maya and her family have brown skin and dark curly hair.) Single page images pair with text-only pages featuring a dark background, white text, and a one-color highlight or rainbow music notes.

A cheerful but uneven celebration of music with simple vocabulary and repeated phrases.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 39

Publisher: M&J Literary Works Inc

Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2020

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS | CHILDREN'S POETRY

bookshelf

THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

bookshelf

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

bookshelf

DIGGER, DOZER, DUMPER

by Hope Vestergaard ; illustrated by David Slonim ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 27, 2013

While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems.

bookshelf

Rhyming poems introduce children to anthropomorphized trucks of all sorts, as well as the jobs that they do.

Adorable multiethnic children are the drivers of these 16 trucks—from construction equipment to city trucks, rescue vehicles and a semi—easily standing in for readers, a point made very clear on the final spread. Varying rhyme schemes and poem lengths help keep readers’ attention. For the most part, the rhymes and rhythms work, as in this, from “Cement Mixer”: “No time to wait; / he can’t sit still. / He has to beg your pardon. / For if he dawdles on the way, / his slushy load will harden.” Slonim’s trucks each sport an expressive pair of eyes, but the anthropomorphism stops there, at least in the pictures—Vestergaard sometimes takes it too far, as in “Bulldozer”: “He’s not a bully, either, / although he’s big and tough. / He waits his turn, plays well with friends, / and pushes just enough.” A few trucks’ jobs get short shrift, to mixed effect: “Skid-Steer Loader” focuses on how this truck moves without the typical steering wheel, but “Semi” runs with a royalty analogy and fails to truly impart any knowledge. The acrylic-and-charcoal artwork, set against white backgrounds, keeps the focus on the trucks and the jobs they are doing.

While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6)