In this well-considered tale, library joy is simple, and library joy is real.
The author—a social media influencer, former librarian, and host of the revival of PBS’ Reading Rainbow—celebrates the familiar pleasures of a library visit.
Threets, who has promoted libraries and reading online, follows his positive message to its logical conclusion: a picture book that seeks to cultivate “library joy.” As the book begins, Threets, sporting his signature soft, fuzzy Afro hairstyle, opens the library’s doors wide to a crowd of kids and grown-ups. Patrons pour in. A Black mom with cornrows lifts a toddler to a bookshelf, a pale-skinned blond child cuddles her dads while perusing a book about butterflies, and a tan-skinned girl watches her abuela mend a teddy bear. At the reference desk, a bespectacled, pale-skinned child asks Mychal for animal books and is soon deep in study behind a tall stack. Of course, the library isn’t just for books—kids garden and play board games, and a parent checks out a set of cymbals. Finally, the book reaches a gleeful moment—storytime! Offering a simple script for the essential experience of a family library day and positioning librarians as friendly guides, Threets provides a perfect read-aloud for before, during, or after a library visit. Nam’s bright, solid-colored illustrations are simple yet involving, following a visually specific cast closely through relatable moments, with characters grinning at and embracing one another easily.
In this well-considered tale, library joy is simple, and library joy is real. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9798217026029
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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