A warm meditation on maternal love.
In Santos’ picture book, a child describes how wonderful his mother is.
A tawny-skinned, black-haired little boy loves his mother very much. The boy praises his mother for her teachings, her ability to make plans to protect him (even when he’s not listening), her unconditional love, her humor, and her ability to focus on him even when her own concerns may threaten to overwhelm her. Santos’ rhymes return to the idea that mothers will not be there forever in a way that seems almost maudlin in this context: “Mama, I love you. Though you won’t be alive forever, / I know that your love will never leave, ever!” The child-eye view of motherhood in the text takes into account both the mother’s joys and her struggles; the images take the theme of devotion even further. (A picture of the mother holding back an avalanche of rocks while still helping her child to build a sand castle is sure to resonate with many caregivers.) The watercolor and ink-lined illustrations can be uneven—some look as if photo filters have been applied to create the backgrounds. Santos’ scansion is consistent throughout; she uses accessible vocabulary to help emergent readers. The ending pages describe mothers as selfless, superpowered figures in a way that may feel more like pressure to mom readers than comfort to their children; a section suggesting activities feels more congenial.
A warm meditation on maternal love.Pub Date: April 30, 2021
ISBN: 9781737054801
Page Count: 47
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.
Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.
Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217032464
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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