A powerful tale about achieving positive emotional health.
A coach helps students understand that real strength comes from the heart in this picture book that emphasizes both physical activity and good mental health.
One day, Hasan’s cousin Lucas, a blond-haired, blue-eyed White boy, comes to visit. Lucas becomes nervous about how much his dark-haired, tawny-skinned relative praises his physical education teacher, Coach Ben. In Lucas’ imagination, Coach Ben is like Heronite, a very strong, unemotional video game character Hasan loves. Hasan claims the teacher can do anything, but Lucas wonders: “Does Coach Ben ever cry?” When class starts, Lucas has the chance to ask, and it turns out that Coach Ben does, claiming, “Tears mean your heart is strong enough to get full in the first place.” This encouragement is just what Lucas needs to get inspired to be physically fit and to recognize his own feelings. Laid out like a comic, with speech and thought bubbles and panels, this critique of valuing “manliness” over “emotional intelligence” (as reflected in the stats of the video game) encourages readers to embrace their own feelings. Rezaie’s text is brief and accessible. While it offers Hasan’s views on various topics, the story revolves around Lucas’ emotional arc and personal growth. Lapitan’s detailed, hand-drawn, comic book–style illustrations feature a diverse cast, with mixed-heritage families and a group of students with many skin tones and hairstyles. Several easter-egg nods to other titles and inspiring quotes hide in the backgrounds.
A powerful tale about achieving positive emotional health.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-63795-049-4
Page Count: 46
Publisher: Primedia eLaunch LLC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
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
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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