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MOMMY, DADDY PLEASE TEACH ME!

Name: MOMMY, DADDY PLEASE TEACH ME!
Author: Michael A. Brown
ISBN: 978-1-73520-247-1

by Michael A. Brown ; illustrated by Zoe Ranucci ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2020

Illustrations of diverse families enhance this work but don’t make up for the uneven rhymes.

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Kids ask their parents to instruct them how to do a range of activities in this picture-book celebration of parenting.

This rhyming series installment features children of various ages—beginning with a baby and moving on to older children—requesting that their parents help them learn to do things for themselves: “Don’t just clothe me; teach me how / To dress my best for years from now.” Whether it’s practicing good hygiene, learning to cook meals, using money, or cleaning up messes, the kids make clear that they want to be involved. Author Brown’s previous works, such as What I Tell Myself FIRST (2019), focus on self-worth, and this book reiterates that message; readers may find it problematic that only a child in a wheelchair is shown to suffer from self-doubt, however. Ranucci’s beautiful, cartoonlike illustrations feature diverse families, some of whom are multiracial, all working together in loving environments. Brown’s rhymes are appropriate for the board-book set, although some archaic language (“More alert, I look to thee”) and emphasis on outdated gender roles (“boy and girls, ties and pearls”) may cause stumbles. Other awkward phrases obscure meaning to reach for rhyme (“A skill or trade, I will need! / Soon my job to do for me”).

Illustrations of diverse families enhance this work but don’t make up for the uneven rhymes.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-73520-247-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Mabma Enterprises, LLC

Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2020

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT I TELL MYSELF FIRST
by Michael A. Brown ; illustrated by Zoe Ranucci

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)