An empowering, slice-of-life story about learning.
A child struggles with school when he can’t remember his colors in Seay’s illustrated book for children.
When Carter Carver, a young Black boy, asks his mother if she can teach him at home rather than send him to school, she’s surprised; she listens as Carter explains how he feels left out because he doesn’t know his colors by heart. Carter can remember the colors of many specific things (“You know like snowballs are white, blueberries blue, and firetrucks just have to be red”), but he often has to guess when it comes to identifying hues. Even though Carter is great at a lot of things, he’s worried that if his friends find out he doesn’t know his colors, they’ll laugh at him. Although his mother assures him that everyone learns at their own speed, she also helps him develop a new technique to help him learn which color is which. By bringing together toys of like colors, his mother personalizes color matching, showing Carter he can learn. The author uses a rhyming scansion and simple language to make the text accessible: “Carter never worried much about colors. He knew he could pass almost any test. To get around not telling one from the other, he had found different ways to guess.” The supportive environment relieves readers from worrying about Carter; even if he doesn’t get everything right, they know he is safe and loved. Seay’s colorful illustrations are bright and well textured. Carter solves his problem by the story’s end, but this is just the beginning of his educational journey; learning his colors gives him the encouragement he needs to keep going.
An empowering, slice-of-life story about learning.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798986344706
Page Count: 34
Publisher: PicBooks Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An endearing ode to big siblinghood.
A buffalo is disconcerted when his daily routine is disrupted by a newborn.
Kalb begins with the playful rhymes and rhythms she employed in Buffalo Fluffalo (2024). Fluffalo, having learned a lesson in cooperation in his earlier outing, happily cavorts with Ram, Crow, and Prairie Dog before enjoying some thoughtful alone time and then settling down to sleep at dusk. A loud wailing sound wakes him at dawn and continues into daybreak. “‘What could that be?’ huffed tired old Fluffalo. / ‘I’ve said it before—I’ve had enuffalo!’” When he discovers that the sound is coming from a tiny buffalo, he becomes both irate and alarmed. Fortunately, his friends show up and assure him that the little one just needs some time to learn and grow. Fluffalo calms down and admits that the baby is a bit cute—something readers will have already realized, thanks to Kraan’s sweetly imaginative art. In the ensuing pages, Fluffalo mentors the loving Puffalo, including the baby in his daily activities and fielding (some of) Puff’s many questions. Readers with younger siblings will appreciate the subtle acknowledgment that Fluffalo’s new role can be taxing, but overall, the tale affirms the joy of mentoring, while the colorful, stylized art perfectly complements the upbeat verse. It’s easy to imagine an older child reading this story to a younger one at bedtime.
An endearing ode to big siblinghood. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9780593810309
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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