A touching story of how we can hold on to our memories and loved ones.
As a grandmother slowly loses her memory, her grandchild learns to connect through song.
The narrator loves spending summers at Lola’s house. The sounds of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Filipino singers Nora Aunor and Basil Valdez fill the house while Lola and the child dance and sing together. “If you want to hold on, you gotta sing your songs,” Lola always says as she embraces the narrator. “Holding on” means remembering—Lola holds on to the child’s long-outgrown items, like a baby bottle or pajamas, and makes something beautiful out of them. Lola also shares her stories of how she met Lolo and how they danced at their wedding. But sometimes, Lola forgets and becomes silent, so her grandchild fills the silence with singing. Gathering friends and family to sing is her grandchild's way to show that it’s OK, because the child will always be there to help her remember. This is a moving story of the bond between a grandmother and a grandchild—a bond that won’t fade even as the grandmother’s memory does. The illustrations are bright and colorful, with multiple layers and textures. Roxas deftly depicts emotions and movement, adding life and feeling to the heartwarming text. Characters are cued as Filipino, and the text and images celebrate Filipino culture and food. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A touching story of how we can hold on to our memories and loved ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-9445-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
This humorous, lively dog’s-eye view provides gentle instruction for interacting with pets.
In Weaver’s charming picture book, a dog reassesses his not-so-glowing review of little kids.
“Families are OVERRATED!” as far as the bluish-gray hound named Dog is concerned. While he approves of the adults in the household, the four small children are for the birds. In an attempt to resolve his conflicted feelings, Dog pours his heart out to a therapist scribbling on a notepad. Dog lists his grievances via couplet rhymes: “And many times I’ve found their dirty toys INSIDE MY BOWL! / It’s obvious these little humans have no SELF-CONTROL!” With key words highlighted in colorful and bolded fonts for more emphasis, his voice now has added urgency. Soylu’s lively drawings in muted tones are wondrously effective in animating Dog; his hanging jowls, big eyes, and floppy ears all convey believably beleaguered expressions. Lifelike details enhance the dramatic effect of the children’s boisterous antics. At the end, Weaver provides a list of do’s and don’ts for interacting with pets. Dog lovers can identify the dog breed silhouettes on the endpapers. Kids will get a kick out of Dog’s opinion of humans and perhaps recognize some behaviors to reconsider.
This humorous, lively dog’s-eye view provides gentle instruction for interacting with pets.Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781736267370
Page Count: 40
Publisher: A Little Offbeat Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An expertly crafted, soulful, and humorous work that tenderly explores identity, culture, and the bond between father and...
Thunder Boy Smith Jr. hates his name.
The Native American boy is named after his father, whose nickname is Big Thunder. Thunder Boy Jr. says his nickname, Little Thunder, makes him "sound like a burp or a fart." Little Thunder loves his dad, but he longs for a name that celebrates something special about him alone. He muses, “I love playing in the dirt, so maybe my name should be Mud in His Ears.…I love powwow dancing. I’m a grass dancer. So maybe my name should be Drums, Drums, and More Drums!” Little Thunder wonders how he can express these feelings to his towering father. However, he need not worry. Big Thunder knows that the time has come for his son to receive a new name, one as vibrant as his blossoming personality. Morales’ animated mixed-media illustrations, reminiscent of her Pura Belpré Award–winning work in Niño Wrestles the World (2013), masterfully use color and perspective to help readers see the world from Little Thunder’s point of view. His admiration of his dad is manifest in depictions of Big Thunder as a gentle giant of a man. The otherwise-muted palette bursts with color as Thunder Boy Jr. proudly enumerates the unique qualities and experiences that could inspire his new name.
An expertly crafted, soulful, and humorous work that tenderly explores identity, culture, and the bond between father and son. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-01372-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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