From Nigeria, a wonderful story of community that will encourage readers to see both mirrors of their own lives and windows...
Unlike ABC books that are primarily informational, this rhyming, poetic one has a continuous narrative that is more prominent than the walk through the alphabet.
During a school break, Adanah, a little (probably Nigerian, like the author and the illustrator) girl with cornrows, leaves her mother and little sister at home and rides with her father to Grandad’s house. Grandad has goats and a guitar in his gated yard, which sets the stage for encouraging readers to pay attention to the details that appear in the illustrations that the text never mentions. For instance, on the page that says, “E is for eagles / flying above the trees,” a woman carrying four cartons of eggs on her head, an elephant on a billboard, and an artist using an easel on the hill also appear. While the narrator talks only about her grandfather, the illustrations make clear that he—and his granddaughter, by extension—is a part of a vibrant community who look out for and appreciate one another. On the C page, before she leaves home, the protagonist says she will take her camera on her trip, and at the end of this circular journey, she shares all of her photos with her little sister—Zainab.
From Nigeria, a wonderful story of community that will encourage readers to see both mirrors of their own lives and windows into another fascinating place. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-911115-81-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cassava Republic Press
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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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
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