An emotionally honest portrait of shifting family dynamics.
Change is hard but often worth it.
One spring, an overall-clad child (who narrates) and Mom plant a pumpkin seed in a pot filled with soil. The very day it sprouts tiny leaves, Mom’s romantic partner, Sam, moves in, bringing with her a “strange box with no bottom”—a compost bin that elicits a “yuck” from the youngster. Things are a bit rocky, but everyone enjoys working together in the garden. The pumpkin plant flourishes, and soon it’s time to plant it into the ground. Carrying it to the garden, the narrator stumbles. Sam rushes to help, but the child explodes in a torrent of accusations: “You hurt my knee and broke my pumpkin plant and I wish you’d never come to live here!” Sam is calmly sympathetic; she salvages the plant and points out that compost from the bin “will help the pumpkins grow big and delicious.” O’Neill uses concrete, garden-themed metaphors to convey the child’s complex emotional landscape: The youngster initially feels “all squished” when everyone piles onto the bench in the garden; the long wait until the pumpkins grow offers a satisfying parallel with the patience required when a family adds a new member. Magro’s appealing, mostly realistic button-eyed characters in colorful settings pair well with the text. Mom and the child are brown-skinned and dark-haired; bespectacled Sam is pale-skinned and red-haired.
An emotionally honest portrait of shifting family dynamics. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798887773001
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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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