A wonderful depiction of a daily bedtime ritual for a family that happens to be black.
As effectively as Good Night Moon and Grandfather Twilight, this book will help children get ready for sleep.
When it’s Zaza’s bedtime, her six stuffed-animal friends get individual attention as she tucks them in for the night. George Giraffe is so long he requires two beds, over which Zaza stretches his soft blue body out for a rest. The spotted and flowered Bobby gets a tummy tickle; Mo, the snake, hears a song; and Pinkie, the rabbit, gets cuddled. Red bear Rosie, Zaza’s favorite, receives the most special attention. All of this love gets showered back on Zaza when Mommy enters. Mother and daughter both have deep brown skin and natural hair. Zaza’s afro puffs encircle her head, and Mommy wears a full Afro—offering much-needed mirrors for black and brown children. Despite the quietude of this good-night story, the bold, solid-colored, bright background for each image and the contrasting busy patterns on the stuffed animals and Zaza’s bedspread make it feel like a wide-awake story until the final, soothing-pink background lulls readers to sleep. Observant children will also notice that the eyes of the stuffed animals open and close—suggesting that they might be as alive as Zaza.
A wonderful depiction of a daily bedtime ritual for a family that happens to be black. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60537-461-1
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not a standout, but it’s potentially useful for allaying the anxieties of wee ones ready to make what can be a scary leap...
A primer for little boys transitioning from their own potties to the toilet.
Jack is a cute, bespectacled tot wearing a large pirate hat featuring a skull and crossbones. He is busy playing with his teddy bear (which sports a bandanna and eye patch) when Daddy announces that it’s time to potty. But Jack has decided that he’s ready to give up the little potty and use the toilet like his father. Capt. Jack climbs aboard “his ship,” pees into the bowl, sits down and “does a poo,” flushes the toilet and then washes his hands. Proud Jack “takes a bow” while “Daddy claps and cheers,” proclaiming Jack “Captain of the Toilet!” Jack makes it look really easy, which may intimidate little ones, but they will probably be too busy repeatedly generating flushing sounds by pushing the book’s big blue button to notice. A companion title, Queen of the Toilet (978-0-7641-6659-4), stars a little girl. It follows the pattern of Jack’s story, except no child’s potty is pictured or mentioned. Bella seems to go directly from diapers to toilet, though the back cover indicates that this title, too, is intended for those transitioning from a child’s potty.
Not a standout, but it’s potentially useful for allaying the anxieties of wee ones ready to make what can be a scary leap from child’s potty to toilet. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7641-6658-7
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Barron's
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
A positive approach to a difficult subject.
The latest addition to the Best Behaviors series encourages little ones to “Pick a tissue, not your nose.”
The opening spreads inform readers that noses are for breathing and sniffing but not for picking. The rhyming text, with a couple of clever lines, describes using a tissue, throwing the tissue away and washing hands to “Tell those germs good-bye.” Heinlen’s art, which is a step above other titles of this instructive, didactic ilk, uses a diverse cast of cartoon kids and grown-ups to model appropriate behaviors, rendering them with a bold black line and warm colors. The last two pages offer extensive tips for parents and caregivers on ways to gently discourage nose-picking through modeling, respect, redirection and persistence.
A positive approach to a difficult subject. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-57542-471-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
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