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WHEN YOU'RE OLDER

Name: WHEN YOU'RE OLDER
Author: Sofie Laguna
ISBN: 9781760291341

by Sofie Laguna ; illustrated by Judy Watson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023

Thrilling journeys abound in this lovely ode to childhood fantasies and sibling bonds.

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A little boy dreams of what he and his tiny baby brother will do together just a few years later.

One stock response to deflect children’s wishes is “When you’re older.” In contrast, this book celebrates unbounded imaginative possibilities. In warm, simple words, the older boy envisions future adventures with his new sibling, both of whom present White, in a jungle, in a cave, at the seashore, out on the ocean, on an ice floe, and further, to the edge of disaster, where one blond brother saves the other. There’s no sense of impatience, just the beautiful unfolding of far-flung exploits, including those via books with “dragons, crowns and swords.” A slim tan pooch, sleeping like the baby at the start, actively and enthusiastically participates in everything—even riding on a sled pulled by “wild dogs.” The celebration of brotherhood is admirable. Glowing shades of aqua, turquoise, ruby, gold, and green radiate from the pages. Multiple techniques combine hand-drawn lines, spongelike prints, patterns, streaks, and splashes to evoke luminous worlds. The sleeping sibling can’t know how fortunate he is, but lucky readers can easily project themselves into these scenes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Thrilling journeys abound in this lovely ode to childhood fantasies and sibling bonds. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

ISBN: 9781760291341

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Review Posted Online: Feb. 21, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
A FRIEND FOR RUBY
by Sofie Laguna ; illustrated by Marc McBride

- BOOK REVIEW
TOO LOUD LILY
by Sofie Laguna & illustrated by Kerry Argent

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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)