by Nathan Clement ; illustrated by Nathan Clement ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
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
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by Nathan Clement ; illustrated by Nathan Clement
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by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022
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
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by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson
by Valerie Bolling ; illustrated by Maine Diaz ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2020
The snappy text will get toes tapping, but the information it carries is limited.
Dancing is one of the most universal elements of cultures the world over.
In onomatopoeic, rhyming text, Bolling encourages readers to dance in styles including folk dance, classical ballet, breakdancing, and line dancing. Read aloud, the zippy text will engage young children: “Tappity Tap / Fingers Snap,” reads the rhyme on the double-page spread for flamenco; “Jiggity-Jig / Zig-zag-zig” describes Irish step dancing. The ballet pages stereotypically include only children in dresses or tutus, but one of these dancers wears hijab. Overall, children included are racially diverse and vary in gender presentation. Diaz’s illustrations show her background in animated films; her active child dancers generally have the large-eyed sameness of cartoon characters. The endpapers, with shoes and musical instruments, could become a matching game with pages in the book. The dances depicted are described at the end, including kathak from India and kuku from Guinea, West Africa. Unfortunately, these explanations are quite rudimentary. Kathak dancers use their facial expressions extensively in addition to the “movements of their hands and their jingling feet,” as described in the book. Although today kuku is danced at all types of celebrations in several countries, it was once done after fishing, an activity acknowledged in the illustrations but not mentioned in the explanatory text.
The snappy text will get toes tapping, but the information it carries is limited. (Informational picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-63592-142-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
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by Valerie Bolling ; illustrated by Kaylani Juanita
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by Valerie Bolling ; illustrated by Sabrena Khadija
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