A warmly welcome book that will shine for families in grief.
The Jewish ritual of lighting a yahrzeit candle on the anniversary of a loved one’s death helps a child remember her late uncle.
Every year, the young protagonist and her mother recall joyful memories of special times spent together with the girl’s uncle, like a camping trip and a birthday party. As they tell each other stories about the child’s uncle, they laugh and cry. The youngster’s mother explains that the candle keeps his memory alive (“It connects him to our family, our community, and our nation”) while bringing his loved ones together to celebrate and heal. Though the girl misses her uncle, she realizes that his light still lives in their hearts. Images of bicycles—in the girl’s memories of her uncle, in the background of her daily life now, and finally riding off the page—subtly reinforce the idea that people remain part of our lives long after they are gone. Ben Ami’s visuals also depict the Jewish tradition of placing stones on a grave. In author’s and illustrator’s notes, Ho and Ben Ami further discuss the ritual and their own personal connections to the story. Readers will learn about yahrzeit traditions, but this poignant and lyrical reflection on loss offers much more than simple explanation; it’s also a gentle way to discuss the death of a loved one with a child of any background. The protagonists are tan-skinned and dark-haired.
A warmly welcome book that will shine for families in grief. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780593571750
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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