A heartwarming story of family and belonging.
A wheelchair basketball player plans a party.
Apolonia can’t wait to celebrate her birthday. She’s inviting “todos—teammates and primas!” to the gym, where they’ll play wheelchair basketball and eat tacos de arracheras, arroz y frijoles, and tres leches. But her racially diverse teammates anticipate pizza and ice cream—what if they don’t like Papá’s menu? And when Apolonia’s cousins learn they’ll be “playing basketball en sillas de ruedas,” they giggle: “So weird!” Apolonia worries that wheelchair basketball and her Mexican American family won’t mix. Finally, she tells Mamá to cancel the party, “because I’m always so different…even from you.” But the next day, Mamá brings Apolonia to the gym, where friends and family surprise her with a flawless fiesta. Apolonia’s heart soars as she joins the basketball game: “Everyone is there. Juntos. All of Apolonia!” Energetic, expressive cartoon illustrations convey Apolonia’s many emotions and, above all, her family’s love. In an author’s note, Prevo defines inclusion, belonging, and social identity and explains that the story is based on her experiences as a Mexican and disabled person. Readers navigating multiple cultural identities will empathize with Apolonia’s conflicting feelings, and disabled readers will welcome the acknowledgment that being disabled in a nondisabled family can be lonely. All will cheer for Apolonia. Interspersed Spanish words are understandable through context. Apolonia and Mamá have tan skin; her family’s complexions vary.
A heartwarming story of family and belonging. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781419772849
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
Pitch-perfect tension and delightful silliness.
The legend of a giant, dangerous duck at Cucumonga Campground looms large.
Young Hector and his family are on vacation. Everything seems pleasant except for the many objects that have gone missing and the warnings Hector keeps receiving. Everyone tells him not to interact with the ducks. Don’t go near them, don’t look at them, and absolutely, positively, do not feed them. To further emphasize the point, “DO NOT FEED THE DUCKS” signs pop up every few feet at the campground. So what does Hector do? He feeds the ducks. They just look so cute and hungry. Amid the many feathers flapping, a large, foreboding shadow suddenly crosses the lake. Colón builds suspense through short, clipped narration. The weather turns ominous, and people flee in terror—it’s…THE QUACKEN! The fearsome, colossal wildfowl has appeared! It’s always one step ahead of Hector until there is no escape. Hector is popped into the duck’s bill like a delicious morsel. But, luckily for Hector, “children taste terrible.” Reminiscent of old, cheesy horror films, this tale will make a hilariously over-the-top read-aloud. Pino ramps up the drama in his illustrations, alternating full-page spreads with graphic novel–like panels and vignettes. Hector and his family are brown-skinned, while other campers are racially diverse.
Pitch-perfect tension and delightful silliness. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665922487
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
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