Arresting illustrations have a dramatic impact in this meditation on emotions.
In this South Korean import, a child experiences a day full of big emotions, each represented by a color.
“Feelings are as colorful as a rainbow and change all the time.” An East Asian–presenting little one narrates the events of a day, from waking up (“The morning is dazzling white”) to going to bed (“Mysterious black looks forward to whatever tomorrow will bring”). The protagonist begins the morning “excited as bright yellow” and “curious as deep green.” Later, a new friend makes the youngster feel “tickled pink,” but when that friend plays with someone else, the child cycles through a “ruby red blaze,” “gloomy blue,” and “down-in-the-dumps gray.” The two or three sentences of poetic text on each page tell the story while also describing various feelings; at times, the writing is a bit awkward (perhaps due to translation issues), but no matter—Choi’s illustrations are the star of this book. The colors pop off the pages, perfectly rendering each emotion with a combination of realistic detail and surreal elements. A scene where the young narrator sings the praises of “optimistic orange” depicts a group of balloons floating above a beautifully detailed grayscale city, with the child riding astride the largest balloon, while a fiery red page features the child, eyes narrowed in anger, along with a gorgeous dragonlike creature composed of delicate flames and feathers fanned out in the background.
Arresting illustrations have a dramatic impact in this meditation on emotions. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9781623545642
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale.
The classic picture book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets a makeover for Easter as the letters of the alphabet locate and decorate eggs.
The mission is simple: “Chicka chicka peek peek. / Everybody seek seek! / Find all the eggs / in the pretty pink tree.” The letters are making their way up the flowering tree in search of the hidden eggs when a “SNEEZE!” scatters everyone and the eggs fall and crack. Luckily, a bunny hops by with a haul of new ones, which the letters then paint and bedazzle, eventually sharing the newly decorated eggs with a group of bunnies. This picture book is a successfully Easter-fied version of the original: The letters go up; the letters fall down. Truly, though, that’s all the preschool crowd needs. Chung’s illustrations are simple and familiar, a direct echo of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The letters appear in colorful, bold, block form. The book has few added details, just focal images like the tree and its pink flowers, the colorful eggs, tufts of grass, and some friendly rabbits. The alphabet appears in order (both upper- and lowercase letters) at the book’s open and close. The rhyming text follows the iconic cadence of the source material, making for a worthy read-aloud that will keep little hands turning pages.
A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781665990646
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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