A fun and lively read-aloud, featuring an all-star lineup.
Sanders blends poetry and profile as he spotlights 60 queer athletes.
Bouncy rhyming verse covers individuals across history, from household names like tennis player Billie Jean King to potentially less familiar ones, like track star Dr. Tom Waddell, who founded the Gay Games in 1982. Sanders introduces each boundary-busting athlete by first name only and devotes a single sentence to each, punctuated by occasional generalized inspirational stanzas. While the main text is light on concrete information, the backmatter provides full names and brief factual bullet points for each athlete. And because Sanders often doesn’t mention what sports these players excelled in, readers must rely on Evans’ brightly colored illustrations for context clues. The bold, kinetic images depict athletes in peak action, layered over swaths of color or shared backgrounds that sometimes visually link disparate sports within the same spread, such as horseracing, BMX, and NASCAR. A glossary of queer terms is also included, though many of the terms are never used in the text. Appealing visuals and satisfying rhymes make for an entertaining sports read. Featured athletes are diverse in race and body shape.
A fun and lively read-aloud, featuring an all-star lineup. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9798889834915
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A self-affirming tale with limited appeal.
Actor Kruger embraces her unusual name and bestows her daughter with a name with special significance.
To many, the name Diane doesn’t sound odd, but when the author was growing up in Germany, it didn’t “sound German at all, like Anna, Lena, or Heidi.” In this picture book, Kruger reminisces about the meaning of her name and how she came to appreciate it. Delicately drawn illustrations with a light watercolor wash first depict a young, blond, White-presenting Diane in red patchwork overalls with her blue-kerchiefed pet bunny, Benny. To escape childhood taunting, Diane reads to Benny as Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, and other fairy-tale characters look on. When her mother explains she was named for a goddess, presumably the Roman goddess Diana, “a fearless huntress, strong-willed, with magical powers,” young Diane begins to wonder what her own special powers will be. After she and her mother travel to London, depicted with diverse citizens, and Diane sees a play for the first time, she realizes her gift is storytelling. Adult readers, especially fans of Kruger, will recognize illustrated scenes from several of her movies. She concludes with a tribute to her daughter and the distinct name she gave her and asks children to ponder their own names and powers. Though the art is attractive, overall, this quiet, understated tale will resonate more with caregiving readers than with children. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A self-affirming tale with limited appeal. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66265-091-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
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