Fans will race to share this with their favorite racers-to-be, though they will need to fill listeners in on all the...
With the same attention to detail as his Drive (2008) and Job Site (2011), Clement brings stock-car racing to life for armchair drivers.
Readers see it all—from the order to start engines to the pit stops and the many mishaps that can happen during a race—and flags help signal much of it. But while all the details are there, the whys are missing—why the pace car, why the pit stops? The race cars follow the pace car for several laps before the green flag starts the race. A collision triggers the yellow caution flag, and the pace car again leads the way. “Race cars hit the pits. Refuel. Jack up. Change tires.” When the green flag is again waved, “It’s pedal to the metal.” A crash and a wave of the red flag stops the race while the track is cleared. The white last-lap flag is quickly followed by the famous checkered flag, ending the race. The final page reveals it’s all been child’s play: A child’s hand extends from the edge and holds the winning car. Brightly colored cars in the digital illustrations contrast nicely with the gray and black of the track. Distance is indicated by blurriness, with objects in the foreground having sharp, crisp lines. A guide to the flags’ meanings appears before the story.
Fans will race to share this with their favorite racers-to-be, though they will need to fill listeners in on all the specific whys and hows. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-59078-937-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
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
Birdsong began her career as a teacher, and the book will find repeated use in the classroom.
A multicultural girl-power manifesto featuring a feisty young girl who faces her day as a knight on an epic quest.
The unnamed narrator puts on her “armor” (a rainbow sweater) and fills her “treasure chest” (a backpack). Venturing forth to “explore new worlds,” she drives back “dragons” (neighborhood dogs on their walk), boards the “many-headed serpent” (her school bus, with schoolmates’ heads protruding from every window), and visits “the Mountain of Knowledge” (the school library) to “solve the mysteries of the unknown.” After standing up for her beliefs—by joining a classmate sitting alone in the cafeteria—the young girl returns home to rest in the lap of an older female relative, possibly a grandparent/primary caregiver, to prepare for the next day, when she can be “fierce again.” Birdsong’s repeated refrain—“I will be fierce!”—underlines the unambiguous message of this sassy picture book, and Chanani’s bold and energetic illustrations reinforce the text’s punchy, feminist-y declarations. They depict a joyously multiracial environment, consciously tackling stereotypes with an elderly, white, female bus driver and a groovy, Asian-presenting librarian with a green streak in her hair. The fierce protagonist herself has brown skin and fluffy, dark brown hair, and her caregiver also has brown skin.
Birdsong began her career as a teacher, and the book will find repeated use in the classroom. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-29508-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
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