A winning reminder that though family might evolve, it’s always anchored by love.
Jillian likes her new stepfather but isn’t sure about her new grandmother.
Bubbe, Yiddish for grandmother, is very loving, but Jillian does not appreciate this affection. She already has two grandmas—Gram and Noni—and a great-grandma. She doesn’t need a person who gives lipstick-laden kisses and introduces new holidays and words (kvelling and kvetching) she doesn’t understand. When her mom insists that Jillian “give Bubbe a chance,” Jillian, tan-skinned with brown hair, reluctantly agrees to join her “brand-new” grandmother as Bubbe prepares soup and teaches Jillian to make perfect matzah balls. After tasting the delicious concoction, Jillian plans a celebration for everyone: her mother, her stepfather, her father, and all her grandmothers (and her great-grandma). The three grandmas make their special soups and create a feast for everyone—a lovely way to bring a blended family together. Humorous, expressive illustrations track Jillian’s many moods; the interactions between Bubbe’s dog and her cat are especially funny. Filled with good tastes and intentions, the story will ring true where families have stayed friendly after divorce and remarriage. Jillian’s family is a diverse one—Bubbe is Jewish, and the family members range in skin tone. Backmatter includes recipes for all three grannies’ soups (Bubbe’s matzah ball soup, Noni’s Italian wedding soup, and Gram’s gazpacho). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A winning reminder that though family might evolve, it’s always anchored by love. (websites related to blended families) (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-62354-249-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
Martial aspects notwithstanding, a warm tale of family togetherness.
The smallest member of a Viking family rules the roost—until a new little warrior princess comes along.
Little Sven may be, but in this sparely related episode he has the loudest cries, the fiercest bite, and if he feels like pillaging his massive dad’s dinner plate…well, no one will stand against him. He also loves telling stories so much that everyone stops to listen. This last comes in handy after his place in the clan is usurped by a scowling, redheaded, even smaller new arrival with an even louder cry—and when no one else can make the “warrior princess” settle down, it’s his tales of two small rovers setting out on epic adventures that bring peace to the flummoxed Nordic household. Looking diminutive indeed among the towering, haystack-shaped adults in Roxas’ green and gold scenes, Sven and the princess go on to develop so firm an alliance that at the end he’s proudly outfitting her with a helmet and shield of her own, showing nary a trace of sibling rivalry or jealousy. Children will enjoy such details as Sven’s dog, who demonstrates its distress in parallel with Sven’s white family.
Martial aspects notwithstanding, a warm tale of family togetherness. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-399-55429-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
Carmen’s moxie still charms, even when Eduardo is stealing the show.
Dramatic triple threat–in-training Carmen returns in another story of sibling love and sharing the spotlight.
Since putting on her big home stage show in Starring Carmen! (2017), things appear to be going great for young actress/singer/director Carmen and her adoring little brother, Eduardo. When Carmen decides to turn her attention to the big time by submitting an entry to a contest for a Dino-Krispies cereal commercial, she names Eduardo cinematographer (“What’s a cinnamon-tographer?” he asks). She puts together a showstopping dance number, but it’s cute Eduardo in a dino costume who gets the ad agency’s attention. Carmen must, of course, overcome her emotions without displaying bitterness toward Eduardo, who offers to turn down the gig. For readers of the first book, it’ll come as no surprise that Carmen won’t let that happen, and she shows some growth since then in how quickly she becomes a cheerleader for her brother. Soon, Carmen is seeking career opportunities in talent management. What the Carmen books do well is treat the overeager enthusiasm of Carmen with compassion: Her dreams aren’t presented as unrealistic or irritating to her bilingual, interracial, Latinx family; her parents and brother enjoy her performances. The illustrations throughout capture great human moments in the characters’ expressions, the way they stand, dance, and move, and the ebullient mass of purple hair on Carmen’s (and her mother’s) head.
Carmen’s moxie still charms, even when Eduardo is stealing the show. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3169-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
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