High on style, but rather low on substance, this reads like a wannabe inspirational graduation gift.
Opening with the simple, titular text, “The world belongs to you,” on the verso and a green circle on the recto, ensuing pages hold that “you belong to the world” and describe how this mutual belonging bestows freedoms and limits. Strong graphic art is more or less successful in interpreting the text, though some of the musings—“You are free to be loved. Or not,” for example—suggest a more sophisticated audience than the picture-book form usually implies. The text quoted above is illustrated with a window holding a pot with three plants to express being loved, and then the same window shuttered without the pot to show “not,” just one instance where word and image interdependence is weak. Other pages are perhaps too literal: The page with text saying that learning can hurt sometimes has a big pink bandage above a red droplet of blood.
Ultimately, the book endeavors to send a message of hope and inspiration to its readers, but it ends up looking and reading more like a greeting card than a good picture book. Stick with Marla Frazee’s Walk On (2006), Dr. Seuss’ perennial best-seller Oh the Places You’ll Go (1990), or even Sandra Boynton’s more successful picture-book–cum–greeting-card Yay You! (2001). (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6488-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Templar/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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BOOK REVIEW
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 4, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Barnes and Brantley-Newton team up for a follow-up to The King of Kindergarten (2019).
From the very first page, it’s clear that young MJ Malone is ready to face the world—and school. Once Mom bestows her with a glittery tiara and dubs her the queen of kindergarten, MJ is determined to fulfill her duties—brighten up every room she enters, treat others with kindness, and offer a helping hand. Barnes infuses each page with humor and a sense of grace as the immensely likable MJ makes the most of her first day. Barnes’ prose is entertaining and heartwarming, while Brantley-Newton’s vivid and playful artwork will be easily recognizable for anyone who’s seen her work (Grandma’s Purse, 2018; Becoming Vanessa, 2021). The illustrator adds verve to the bold young heroine’s character—from the colorful barrettes to the textured appearance of her adorable denim jumper, the girl has style and substance. MJ Malone embodies the can-do spirit every parent hopes to spark in their own children, though even shy kindergarteners will gladly find a friend in her. MJ and her family are Black; her classroom is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Just the thing to get uncertain youngsters jazzed for a first day—at school or anywhere. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-11142-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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