by M.H. Clark ; illustrated by Jana Glatt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2020
A book to wish—and to inspire—many happy returns.
A festive romp of good wishes.
Although not explicitly a birthday book nor one that depicts a graduation, this title would be a suitable gift for either sort of occasion and for recipients of all ages. Its rhyming text, written almost exclusively in couplets, addresses the reader with celebratory declarations that make general note of achievements made, milestones met, and wish-fulfillment on the horizon. “Choose a dream, set a path, see how far you will go. / Find out what you can do with the things that you know.” Illustrator Glatt’s accompanying art looks every bit as merry as the playful text’s tone, with stylized, cartoon pictures of people, animals, and cheery, bipedal not-quite-people cavorting about the pages. The primary palette is pink, gold, red, and light blue, giving the white-backgrounded pages the look of vanilla frosting with sprinkles strewn across it. Her loose style is reminiscent of some of Maira Kalman’s work, and the playful dynamic between art and text delivers a satisfying read even in the absence of a story. The closing spread brings a close to the text with four, not two, lines with the same end rhyme, culminating with the titular directive: “And whatever you do, eat the cake.”
A book to wish—and to inspire—many happy returns. (Picture book. 3-18)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-946873-84-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
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by Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2015
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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by Abdul-Razak Zachariah ; illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2019
Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children.
On hot summer nights, Amani’s parents permit her to go outside and play in the apartment courtyard, where the breeze is cool and her friends are waiting.
The children jump rope to the sounds of music as it floats through a neighbor’s window, gaze at stars in the night sky, and play hide-and-seek in the moonlight. It is in the moonlight that Amani and her friends are themselves found by the moon, and it illumines the many shades of their skin, which vary from light tan to deep brown. In a world where darkness often evokes ideas of evil or fear, this book is a celebration of things that are dark and beautiful—like a child’s dark skin and the night in which she plays. The lines “Show everyone else how to embrace the night like you. Teach them how to be a night-owning girl like you” are as much an appeal for her to love and appreciate her dark skin as they are the exhortation for Amani to enjoy the night. There is a sense of security that flows throughout this book. The courtyard is safe and homelike. The moon, like an additional parent, seems to be watching the children from the sky. The charming full-bleed illustrations, done in washes of mostly deep blues and greens, make this a wonderful bedtime story.
Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-55271-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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