Cute and familiar.
A young girl wonders what life with her loud family would be like if they were animals instead of people.
Chaos surrounds her in the kitchen: Her younger brother is hurling yogurt at her, her baby brother is screaming, and her father is burning his shirt with the iron as her mother pays bills at the table. This all has the girl wondering “what else we could be.” She imagines them all as a pod of pelicans, a swarm of bees, a pride of lions, a smack of jellyfish, and more, all appearing more peaceful than they are as humans at home. When she comes to imagining them as a wisdom of wombats, she realizes that life as animals would hold danger as well: “What if they tried to take my little brother to the zoo?!” In the final two spreads, the wild kitchen scene of the family preparing dinner together settles down as they sit down to a set table, where younger brothers are still messy but smiles abound. She realizes that “while we’re together, there’s no place I’d rather be.” Fun to read, and featuring both common and rare collective nouns (“a pandemonium of parrots”), the book ends with a note about collective nouns and a list of additional “terms of venery.” Humorous illustrations distinguish each family member in the animal imaginings with their signature hair and accessories, such as glasses and a pacifier. It’s a happy interracial family, with a black-presenting dad and Asian-presenting mom; the kids are all distinct individuals.
Cute and familiar. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-8937-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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
BOOK REVIEW
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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