Readers will make faces, but they’ll be faces of confusion and disappointment.
Zany moods abound in Alegria and Kuvarzina’s picture book.
“What makes a face? Just a mouth and two eyes, a nose and a chin? / Yes, that’s all true, but did you know that your face can make faces too?” Except this is not true, of course, for any readers who do not have one or more of these features. The cover’s (racially) diverse array of human faces promptly gives way to illustrations featuring anthropomorphic animals, each corresponding to a different emotion (“OH NO! Look at the SAD llama pout!”) and instructions to mimic the expression. While most of the “faces” presented are straightforward (“serious”; “bashful”), a few are puzzlingly nonsensical (“Make a face like a MONKEY and swing your arms about”). Forced enthusiasm rings false (“That was so SUPER fun!”), while some humor fails to land: “HAHA hoHO / Look at the funny hippo dancing for you!” the text declares (just how is that hippo meant to be funny?). The mix of hand lettering and a more standard serif type (of varying fonts) makes it clear this is not a text for new readers, and while the text begs for a group read-aloud, the frenetic, bright illustrations and the difficult lettering make this a less-than-ideal choice. Finally, the small and stylized (think Raschka-esque) facial expressions fail to land the emotional punch the text requires.
Readers will make faces, but they’ll be faces of confusion and disappointment. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-57687-850-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: POW!
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
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