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POPPY'S QUESTION

Name: POPPY'S QUESTION
Author: Nicole Melleby
ISBN: 9781643750965

by Nicole Melleby ; illustrated by Forrest Burdett ‧ RELEASE DATE: tomorrow

Don’t skip this heartwarming tale of queer representation and acceptance.

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When gender tropes impact class activities, a girl feels empowered to speak up.

With a smile and skip in her step, Poppy eagerly heads to school each morning looking forward to the best part: Ava. Even though she chews her pencils and tickles Poppy with her bouncy curls, “Poppy liked sitting next to Ava.” But when the pair play house, Ava would rather ask a boy to “be the daddy” instead of Poppy. What’s more, their teacher, Ms. Merriwick, says the class will be hosting a wedding between “Mr. Q” and “Ms. U” (a common phonics lesson that teaches how the two letters always go together). While the other students enjoy wedding-themed activities, Poppy sits frowning amid a scribbly cloud that visually conveys her angst. When Ava notices, Poppy bravely opens up: “I don’t want Ms. U to marry Mr. Q…. And I don’t want to play house with a boy as the daddy.” The result is an uplifting model of communication and kindness that reinforces the importance of sharing your feelings with those you trust. And though Poppy’s never named as queer, the tale clearly speaks to the power of seeing one’s identity represented. Poppy’s evolving emotions are reflected in squiggles, sparkles, and zigzags throughout; bold, textured background colors are dynamic and almost magical. Direct, clear language will help guide conversations in an age-appropriate, understandable way. Poppy has paper-white skin and dark hair; Ava is brown-skinned and brown-haired.

Don’t skip this heartwarming tale of queer representation and acceptance. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: tomorrow

ISBN: 9781643750965

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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BRADY MASON'S PERFECT FIT
by Nicole Melleby

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ATHLETE IS AGENDER
edited by Katherine Locke & Nicole Melleby ; illustrated by Jess Vosseteig

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THE HOUSE ON SUNRISE LAGOON
by Nicole Melleby

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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)