Unique and universally resonant, this fascinating tribute is one to share.
Novelist Youngblood tells a story of a child with seven homes and seven Big Mamas.
A Black child with two puffs goes to a different home every day. The child’s mother works late and sometimes travels for weeks at a time. So the Big Mamas take care of the narrator, and the child has different experiences and dreams with each of them. With Nurse Louella, the protagonist cycles around the airport parking lot and later thinks of being a pilot. With Miss Zikora, the narrator sings in Spanish, French, and Igbo (“I think I want to sing in my own band”). Other Big Mamas braid the child’s hair in a salon or teach them to fish. Finally, when Mama comes home, everyone celebrates together with more delicious food, and the child gets to sleep in their own little room in their own house, glad that Mama is home. This is a joyful, heartfelt celebration of family—born and chosen—and community, of Black womanhood and expressions of love. The variety of people and homes in the child’s life is thoroughly engaging; the details of the women’s lifestyles, from fashion and cars to foods and conversations, immerse readers in each setting. Harris’ bright, warm illustrations use thick blocks of saturated colors to bring the Mamas, the child, and their relationships to life. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Unique and universally resonant, this fascinating tribute is one to share. (notes from the author and from Make Me a World creative director Christopher Myers, recipe for sweet pink punch) (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-18022-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Make Me a World
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
IN THE NEWS
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
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
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