Not exactly stupid—but not brilliant either.
A big-brother bunny comes to love his new “stupid baby” brother in this French import by way of New Zealand.
After his mother shushes his noisy play, Simon, an anthropomorphic white rabbit, is displeased when his parents explain that his new baby brother isn’t going back to the hospital after being home for “THREE WHOLE DAYS.” “Go back where you came from, stupid baby,” he says while peering at a sleeping baby bunny in a bassinette. The artwork is minimal, with a cartoon style that will engage readers, though some may be immediately turned off by the text’s casual use of the word stupid. Then the question of how human children will grasp the limits of anthropomorphism arises when a scared Simon can’t sleep at night. He goes to his parents’ room, fearful of imagined wolves outside, and is summarily sent back to bed. As he walks down the hallway, he hears the baby making noises, scoops him up, and brings him back to his own bed, saying “I’ll look after you, my tiny, tiny, stupid baby.” A closing picture shows the brothers sleeping soundly in Simon’s bed as the sun rises outside. Such a resolution would obviously be impractical and unsafe in a human household, which may undermine the book’s relevance to readers who might otherwise identify with Simon.
Not exactly stupid—but not brilliant either. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-87757-931-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
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