Potent and deeply moving.
Acclaimed artist Smith honors Cooke’s legendary song with 1960s-inspired art.
A Black child spies a camera floating on a plank in the river near the shack where he lives, and when he grows up and migrates to a city, he brings the camera with him. Paired with lyrics from Cooke’s song—long considered a Civil Rights Movement anthem—scenes of urban life follow: signs proclaiming segregation, the funeral of Medgar Evers (an activist murdered in 1963 Mississippi), Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law as Martin Luther King Jr. looks on, people gathering for the March on Washington, a re-creation of a photo depicting Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali sitting at a lunch counter, and other milestones in the fight for racial justice. The man with the camera is present at many of these moments; a touching final spread portrays a Black child looking through photographs of those very scenes. Smith’s signature painting style lends energy to the pages with formidable linework, superb use of darkness and light, and strong compositions, inviting readers to linger, parse the images, and discuss what’s going on. Less a read-aloud and more a window into history, this work offers a rich opportunity to introduce the topic to young people through art, music, personalities, events, and emotions, over multiple exposures. Detailed backmatter supports comprehension.
Potent and deeply moving. (note from the estate of Sam Cooke, illustrator’s note, featured historical events and figures, QR code linking to a recording of “A Change Is Gonna Come”) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781499816150
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
PROFILES
Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown.
In Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Hurts’ motivational picture book, a youngster rebounds from disappointment.
As Jalen heads off on his first day of school, he daydreams about joining the football team, but his friend Trey soon breaks the bad news. The garden club needed more space for vegetables, so the football field was used for planting. There will be no football this year. Jalen is despondent, but his teachers Mrs. Lee and Mr. Barry and bodega owner Mr. Muhammad offer guidance that spurs him and his friends into positive action. They work to flip a nearby empty lot into a football field, with Jalen echoing his mentors’ adages. Once the field is complete, Jalen feels a swell of pride in his and his friends’ work. While the idea of kids working together to effect change is a laudable one, the bland, wordy storytelling won’t inspire young people or hold their attention. Tired, cliched inspirational comments peppered throughout often slow down the narrative, and many adult readers will find the premise—a school dropping a high-interest sports program in favor of a community garden—wildly unrealistic. Though the illustrations are colorful, with a Disney Junior charm, strange stylistic choices, such as signs with odd combinations of scribbles instead of letters, give them an unpolished look. Like Hurts, Jalen is Black; his community is diverse.
Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9798217040308
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
Visually sweet, though hampered by disjointed storytelling.
In this picture book from Fox News journalist Hall, a young hedgehog must find a way to protect his community when peril looms.
Hedgehog and his father both have busy days ahead. Dad’s on his way to the newspaper to report “what new news the news brings.” Hedgehog packs his backpack for an adventure, mindful of Dad’s rules: “Don’t talk to strangers” and “never ever cross the river alone.” Obeying the rules proves difficult when Hedgehog notices commotion on the other side of the river: A bear is hungrily eyeing Baby Owl, who’s fallen from her tree. With creative thinking, Hedgehog frightens off the bear and alerts Mama Owl, but the predator is still at large. So Hedgehog and Mama Owl create flyers to warn the forest residents. Though Motzo’s airy illustrations are pleasing—particularly the adorably animated Hedgehog, a tribute to Hall’s own children—the narrative feels bogged down with multiple themes as it attempts to explore the power of the written word, the importance of community, and the need to adhere to a parent’s rules. When Hedgehog apologizes for his apparent disobedience, Dad explains that Hedgehog never actually broke the rules; turns out it’s OK to cross the river in the company of an adult, and Mama Owl’s no stranger (she’s the town librarian, whom Hedgehog sees every week). The back-and-forth may leave readers confused; it also feels like a missed opportunity to discuss how to identify trustworthy adults.
Visually sweet, though hampered by disjointed storytelling. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063357549
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
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