A sensitive, beautifully wrought meditation on change.
Newbery Medalist Stead makes her picture-book debut with the tale of a youngster dealing with that most turbulent of childhood upheavals: moving.
A father and child mark the occasion with a birthday cake for their new apartment. Daddy encourages the youngster to blow out the candle. “What should I wish for?” “Anything.” Permitted to wish for three “Anythings,” the protagonist requests “a rainbow in my new room,” a big slice of pizza, and to put off bath time. Daddy obliges, but later, the child is awakened in the night by frightening noises. “I wish I had one more Anything,” the child tells Daddy. “Because I want to go home.” Daddy hoists the little one onto his back: “All aboard the train to home!” After several lengthy trips around the apartment and a good night’s sleep, the child awakens with a newfound appreciation for the family's abode. Stead traces a believably earned journey from fear and uncertainty to acceptance. Though spare, her first-person narration is steeped in emotion and laced with realistically childlike musings. The text pairs seamlessly with Zhang’s expressive gouache and ballpoint pen artwork. As the two (both with skin the white of the page) settle in, their surroundings gradually go from scenes with just a few items, rendered with soft lines against a stark white background, to highly detailed spreads brimming with warm colors—a compelling visual representation of the child’s trajectory.
A sensitive, beautifully wrought meditation on change. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781797215150
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
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
A colorful conversation starter about what heroism can mean.
In this picture book from former congressman and U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard officer Kinzinger, a father shows his child that heroes are found everywhere.
Christian is excited to learn that his class will be presenting about heroes in their lives. He knows exactly who he’s going to talk about: his father, an Air Force pilot. When Christian’s friend Ella declares that she will present on their teacher, Ms. Betty Jo, Christian is confused. Heroes protect people, like his father does, but Ms. Betty Jo “didn’t protect anyone.” When Christian tells his father that no one else in his class knows a real hero, Dad takes the boy on a trip in his single-engine plane. Christian observes different workers as his father explains their heroism in verse. The text switches back to prose as they land at a military cemetery, where Dad places a flag at the tombstone of a friend. Vibrant, episodic illustrations give the story momentum, while the detailed vignettes provide a good opportunity for young readers to discuss what’s happening in situations that call for doctors, police, 911 dispatch, the National Guard, and lifeguards, among others. Brief backmatter presents facts about some of the institutions and people who inspired the illustrations. Christian and Dad are pale-skinned; other characters are diverse.
A colorful conversation starter about what heroism can mean. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9781400252725
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
