A brilliant, uplifting, and world-embracing tale to unite us in divisive times.
On the “blue dot” that is planet Earth, whether we reside on Antarctica or in Amsterdam, we’re all connected.
A tan-skinned caregiver and child cuddle on a sofa looking at a book—in fact, this very book—while the youngster’s toys lie scattered on the floor. All seemingly mundane, but the magic has already begun. Fadeeva’s minimalist yet thought-provoking text makes our globe feel simultaneously vast and intimate: “Right now, you are reading this book. Right now, someone is eating breakfast...falling asleep. Right now, on Earth, all at the same time, there is day and night, summer and winter, fire and ice.” A montage of dramatically illustrated settings emphasizes this point as Fadeeva reveals a boat tossed on the high seas, another parent/child pair digging potatoes in a charcoal-gray field, caribou milling amid the snowy tundra, a leopard slinking through the jungle, African dancers clad in kente cloth whirling about. The contrast between bright colors that fairly glow and more somber neutrals is enthralling, with collaged elements (pieces of newsprint, graph paper, even a book’s ISBN) providing further visual interest. This wholly immersive work reminds young people that our world is so much wider than it might appear and invites them to explore these far-flung areas—not as tourists but as members of a global community.
A brilliant, uplifting, and world-embracing tale to unite us in divisive times. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9798985849455
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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