An uplifting celebration of one’s uniqueness.
Tave shares an inspiring day in the life of a young girl in this illustrated book for children.
An unnamed young girl with dark skin and curly hair tells the story of a typical day in which she honors everything good about herself while acknowledging times when she “might feel afraid” and need some help sorting things out. Tave’s protagonist appreciates being healthy and having a “brilliant smile” that brings joy. She is “friendly and kind” and has “gifts and special talents” like drawing and dancing. But not every day is perfect: There are times when she feels down, but she tries not to stay that way for long. The author addresses the issue of other children saying mean things and recognizes that ignoring them doesn’t always work; the young girl sometimes needs a trusted adult with whom she can share her feelings. At the end of her day, she returns to the mirror and reflects, “no matter what the day has brought…I’m still the One and Only Me!” Tave’s story is uplifting and provides children with a strong message of positivity while reassuring them that they don’t have to be perfect. The author affirms that children have a lot of inner strength upon which they can draw, but they still may have struggles with fears and stressors. Tave also imparts some wisdom about not being unduly influenced by what is around oneself (or what is on TV). Vign’s bright, colorful illustrations support the text beautifully. The characters are depicted as multicultural and differently abled (some wear eyeglasses, use a wheelchair, or have bigger bodies). Even the backgrounds of scenes include messages of positivity, such as “Smile Strive Succeed” and “We are unique.” The endpapers suggest that the main character has many future options; she might be a scientist, artist, superhero, track star, or student. The text includes discussion questions and activities that further enrich the story.
An uplifting celebration of one’s uniqueness.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 28, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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