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: today
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
Colorful, upbeat, and just for Swifties.
What is being a Swiftie all about? Finding joy in the things you love!
For Taylor Swift and her fans, love comes from baking tasty desserts, snuggling with pets, enjoying fireworks with friends, and attending concerts. Vibrant illustrations that evoke bright pop music are scattered with references to Taylor’s life, such as a red sports jersey (a nod to her high-profile relationship with a certain Kansas City Chiefs tight end) or a stack of friendship bracelets (which devotees know are commonly made by hand and traded at Swift’s concerts). Without this prior knowledge of Swift lore, this peppy picture book may feel like a somewhat superficial, though positive, list of ways to find happiness; some readers may wish the author had included messages about acceptance and self-love, commonly found in Swift’s lyrics. Still, the intended audience will welcome it as a joyful love letter to her fans. Pops of color splash across scenes of Taylor and a racially diverse set of friends doing their favorite things atop a stark white background. The star’s recognizable fashion style and facial features are spot-on, while most other featured characters feel more generic.
Colorful, upbeat, and just for Swifties. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781665973519
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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