As a sweet, simple miniexplainer of a very specific bit of jargon, it works, and the election-year timing couldn't be better.
A common political acronym is decoded when a young girl accompanies her mother to her White House job and meets the mysterious "POTUS."
Penny is a bright and curious little brown-skinned girl, but she's lacking one crucial bit of information about her mother's boss: who is POTUS, and what kind of weird monster must it be? Penny spends a chunk of the day imagining a blue-furred, horned creature with its own plane and a team of tentacled secret agents. When Penny goes wandering, she finally runs into POTUS, a bespectacled white woman with brown hair. After all her speculation, the girl is surprised not that the president of the United States is a woman, but that she's human. Illustrations feature big, expressive faces and give the White House an institutionally friendly vibe as well as a sizable, diverse staff to make it run smoothly. But the story plays a little loose with Penny's age, which is never established. If she's too young to recognize the president on sight, isn't she also too young to be wandering around the White House alone?
As a sweet, simple miniexplainer of a very specific bit of jargon, it works, and the election-year timing couldn't be better. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62370-758-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Brotherly love and Black joy abound in this brilliantly told tribute to the ties that bind.
When Mom and Dad bring baby Rasheed home for the first time, it’s love at first sight for big brother Anthony.
As the boys grow, Anthony teaches his little sibling how to build a tower with blocks (and how to knock it down with a loud “WHOP!!!”), how to ride a bike, and even how to fly (through a well-timed leap from the swings). When thunder and lightning wake them both one night, Anthony assuages Rasheed’s fears with the book’s titular refrain: “I got you.” But one day Anthony goes for a bike ride with his friends, leaving Rasheed alone and hurt. That night, Anthony explains that while he may spend time with his peers, his bond with Rasheed is unbreakable. And as the book comes to a close, with Mom and Dad introducing the boys to their new little sibling, Anthony leaves Rasheed with perhaps the greatest lesson of all: how to be a supportive big brother himself. Narrated by Rasheed, Barnes’ text is elegant in its simplicity, loving yet never saccharine, and always emotionally honest. Using varied perspectives, Knight-Justice’s richly hued, collagelike digital illustrations combine a patchwork of textures and patterns, immersing readers in this affectionate Black family’s world. Greens and blues dominate the pages, bringing to life an idyllic suburban setting.
Brotherly love and Black joy abound in this brilliantly told tribute to the ties that bind. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780593111451
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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