A low-key tale that’s tasty whether it’s sunny or rainy.
Olive and Aunty Jen are making a sunshine pie for a picnic with friends, but how do you turn sunshine into pie?
Together, the two shop for the pie crust ingredients, then head to a farm for the sunshine filling. It turns out that any fruit that grows sweet and juicy thanks to the sun’s rays can fill a sunshine pie. In this case, Olive and Aunty Jen pick blackberries, raspberries, and apples (not usually in season simultaneously). At home, they make the crust and stir the filling (readers may be confused here about the directive that Olive make a wish while stirring, and many will be unfamiliar with the object they place in the middle of the completed pie—a pie bird—before baking). But when Olive goes out to find the perfect spot for a picnic, it’s raining! Looks like the picnic will become a kitchen party, and the pie will be a “sunshine-and-rain pie,” the rain having contributed to “help[ing] the fruit trees grow.” While the tale is pretty simple, it’s a sweet look at relatives working together to make a treat for their friends. A recipe with ingredients listed by weight is included. Edmonds’ illustrations are bright and cheerful. Both Aunty Jen and Olive are light-skinned. Olive sports blue shorts, a red T-shirt, and dark braids. The invitees are diverse in race and age. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A low-key tale that’s tasty whether it’s sunny or rainy. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781801301114
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Welbeck Flame
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
A sweet notion that falls flat.
A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.
Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622599
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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
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