SAY SOMETHING

Name: SAY SOMETHING
Author: Peter H. Reynolds
ISBN: 978-0-545-86503-6

by Peter H. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 26, 2019

This book’s encouragement to kids to find their voices can also be used to start a conversation about how they can make a...

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In this new effort, Reynolds shows readers a variety of ways a voice can be used, listened to, and heard to make a difference.

Each spread shows an example of how someone can change something or a situation “with words, with action, with creativity.” The book opens on a young black girl who’s exhorted by an unseen narrator via speech bubble: “The world needs your voice.” Through many scenarios (“If you see someone lonely…”; “If you see an empty canvas…”), the narrator encourages children to take action in many ways. A young child can speak up “with a poem” or “by planting a seed and watching it bloom.” These scenarios are enacted by a diverse group of kids, including many with various skin tones and hair textures, a child in a wheelchair, and one with glasses; ethnically or religiously specific accouterments are absent, however. Details such as the legends on T-shirts or protest signs (“Make more light”; “Shalom”; “I have a dream”; “I persist”) reinforce the message. Reynolds’ hand-lettered text, set in white text bubbles against a mix of bright backdrop colors and patterns, deftly works with before-and-after illustrations to show the change that children can effect.

This book’s encouragement to kids to find their voices can also be used to start a conversation about how they can make a difference in their world. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-545-86503-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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WHEN YOU DREAM BIG!
by Peter H. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

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OUR TREASURES WITHIN
by Pope Francis & Peter H. Reynolds with Paul A. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

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THE GIFT OF WORDS (A HOLIDAY PICTURE BOOK)
by Peter H. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

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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)