A gentle introduction for young readers on learning to let others have their day in the sun.
A talented young athlete faces a startling awakening when the spotlight begins to shift away from him in Rusu’s picture book.
Young soccer player Robby, carried—literally and figuratively—by the griffin on his back, is shining on the field. His confidence is sky high, and he’s certain he’s the star of the family. But when his younger sister Katie, a dedicated ballerina who’s always cheered him on, steps into the spotlight, Robby struggles to feel happy for her. “The dancers all had spotlights. Why couldn’t one be mine?” Even his griffin pushes for attention during Katie’s recital, and Robby foolishly interrupts the proceedings. With guidance from his father (“We all have griffins that make us proud… But remember, we should share our griffins at a respectful place and time”), he learns his lesson and apologizes. Katie forgives him, and in a sweet twist, she even gets to dance twice. By the end, Robby understands that a griffin “helps you be the best,” and sometimes being the best means letting others have their time in the spotlight. The rhymes throughout are playful, and the story introduces the idea of letting others share the spotlight in a way young readers can easily grasp. Morón’s illustrations are warm and expressive, and the addition of the attention-seeking griffin adds a playful spark throughout the charming story.
A gentle introduction for young readers on learning to let others have their day in the sun.Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9780829457117
Page Count: 40
Publisher: 4U2B Books & Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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