Newcomer Harel recounts a story of a pleasingly ordinary day accompanied by mildly amicable artwork that sports just the right touch. It’s a simple story that nonetheless possesses the tug of affection: A boy and his father puzzling through where the father might have left his keys, retracing his steps after he left work to pick up the boy, Jonathan, at school. The bunch of keys is on a key chain that sports a picture of Jonathan, so the keys are both easily identifiable and special. They troop like a couple of chums from the post office to the pizza place to the greengrocer—all of which might leave readers with a sense that Jonathan’s father leads a pretty cushy existence—but don’t find the keys until they get home and Jonathan’s mother hands them over. Found in the schoolyard, where they fell out of the father’s pocket when he was playing soccer with Jonathan, they were sent home when the photograph on the chain told who they belonged to. Abulafia, probably best known for her charming illustrations for Barbara Porte’s Harry books, uses the same easygoing style, here, depicting a cozy neighborhood with a few humorous touches (check out the rat coming up out of the sewer grate or the wildly styled barber who is on their path.) The book does have a couple oddments: Why was it necessary to have Jonathan’s father late to pick him up? Why does Jonathan ask what the picture on the chain is for? But they just work themselves into the tale, a slice of everyday where not everything is expected, nor needs, to make sense. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 2003
ISBN: 1-929132-40-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2003
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
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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