A gorgeous ode to change, growth, togetherness, and family.
People may grow and change, but familial love stays the same.
Every summer, Ravi goes to a beach house with “Mom and Dad, two uncles, two aunties, Thatha and Pati, [and] seven cousins.” Second youngest cousin Ravi has a special bond with oldest cousin Dhruv. This year, though, Dhruv seems taller and even more mature, and Ravi wonders if Dhruv remembers all the things that made their relationship special—like their shared love of banana ice cream, which neither one of them can ever seem to find. At first, Ravi feels timid around Dhruv; when Dhruv offers to take Ravi paddleboarding, Ravi nods instead of speaking. But then, at the lake, Dhruv encourages Ravi to take a turn on the tire swing. Leaping triumphantly into the water—something the child never would have done a year ago—Ravi realizes that Dhruv isn’t the only one who has changed since last year: Ravi has, too! One night, when all of the cousins decide to make dinner for the adults, Ravi finds a way to prepare the beloved banana ice cream that involves all the kids. It’s clear that though relationships evolve over time, they can still stay strong. Framed by the cousins’ endearingly boisterous antics, Ravi’s evolution is heartwarming, realistic, and beautifully paced. The cartoonlike illustrations and soft, smudged palette perfectly accompany the warm, quietly lyrical text. Characters are of South Asian descent. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gorgeous ode to change, growth, togetherness, and family. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9781419757334
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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