An aesthetically elegant celebration of auditory pleasures.
A bicycle ride serves as an introduction to the symphony of life.
As a youngster cycles through town, music is everywhere, from children’s mezzo forte laughter to the “swing, swish, sway” of leaves rustling in the breeze. It also manifests visually in the scenery: Vines on a fence curl gently into bass and treble clefs; the spraying spiral of a park fountain, seen from above, becomes a cello’s scroll. A storm approaches as the dark-haired cyclist, clad in a red dress, stops to take in a panoramic cityscape, where decibel level readings jut up like skyscrapers, alluding to the ubiquity of urban noise. When the rain arrives, a crosswalk approximates a set of piano keys played by pedestrian feet, raindrops plinking upon the ground nearby. As the rain clears, the child heads down a tree-lined parkway, angled sideways on the page so the parting trees become a trumpet. While Park’s spare text, translated from Korean, occasionally highlights specific sounds, this is primarily a collection of enticing images—pen-precise black-and-white drawings of neighborhoods and natural settings, shot through with shocks of yellow that illuminate instruments and musical notations in everyday objects and empty space. Often the images are viewed at curious angles; seen from above, below, or turned on their side, they become more magnificent and musical than they appear at first glance. In the minimalist artwork, characters have skin the white of the page.
An aesthetically elegant celebration of auditory pleasures. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9798999567673
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
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
BOOK REVIEW
A muddled message shoots for the moon but never quite gets all the way off the ground.
A little mouse experiences BIG changes thanks to a spectacular talent.
Dee’s a singer to her core. She croons absolutely everywhere, so when her teacher Miss Pink suggests that her students bring in something that symbolizes what they enjoy doing, Dee brings in a song. As she sings it, however, her joy causes her to physically grow huge! At first this makes her feel special, but as the day goes on she feels lonely and out of place. Shrinking back to her normal size, she worries that this means she can never sing again. But thanks to the encouragement of her mother and little sister, she realizes that being special is nothing to be ashamed of. However, though her classmates have skills of their own, only Dee changes, indicating that some talents are more transformative than others. After all, while everyone is enthralled by Dee, Ren the turtle’s talent for drawing a replica of a space station is something he “made everyone watch.” The true standout in this show comes from Sinquett’s dynamic art, capable of encompassing the emotional highs and lows of elementary school kids. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A muddled message shoots for the moon but never quite gets all the way off the ground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-07806-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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