An utterly immersive celebration of the boundless joys of summer—may they never end!
Newbery Honor–winning author Watson offers an ode to the pleasures of a summer day.
Sun streams through an open window as a young Black child awakens. “No dark clouds in the sky,” the protagonist declares; “it’s a perfect day for play.” First, the child devours an overflowing bowl of strawberries, blackberries, and mangoes until “I’m full, full, full.” Over the course of the day, the child swims with a diverse group of friends in a backyard pool, joins a game of double Dutch, and savors the delicious smells emanating from the sizzling grill during a family picnic at a lakeside park. The young narrator enjoys sweet treats from the ice cream truck and blows bubbles with friends as the sun sets. Back at home, the protagonist reflects on the day with gratitude and gazes up at a star: “I wish summer would stay.” Watson’s verse exudes a sense of perpetual motion as the protagonist wrings maximal delight out of the day. The author’s deft use of personification will charm readers: Summer “tiptoes into my room,” “brings me gardens, overflowing,” and “sings me a song, serenading me from the ice-cream truck.” The protagonist’s affection for family and friends is evident in Jackson’s opalescent, realistic digital illustrations, which brim with detail and portray many different body types among children and adults alike.
An utterly immersive celebration of the boundless joys of summer—may they never end! (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781547605866
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
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