A lush and lovely celebration of urban nature’s gifts.
A banyan tree protects an apartment building and its inhabitants.
This artistically emphatic story opens with a sweep of the Hong Kong harbor skyline. A bird swoops by with a seed in its mouth, dropping it “into a crack in a green tong lau.” The tong lau, a term that may be unfamiliar to some readers, is revealed to be a somewhat shabby tenement buzzing with life, from a ground-level shop selling roast goose to kids playing on the rooftop amid potted plants and laundry lines. As the seed sprouts into a banyan tree, it finds its place in this sweet symphony. The tree’s roots crawl down the walls into the ground below, birds and insects make homes in its branches, and children swing from its aerial roots. The adults criticize the arboreal interloper—it blocks sunlight! It’s scaring pets!—but, in a most dramatic fashion, the community soon discovers the benefits of welcoming green into the concrete jungle. Sy’s text, tucked between leafy branches and crowded rooms, highlights tangible sensations: the smells and tastes, muggy summer weather, and daily routines of urban existence. Jain’s watercolors unfurl, vinelike, so palpable that one can discern the texture of the paper they were painted on. Immersing themselves in this sensory experience, readers will easily appreciate the tong lau as an interdependent microcosm unto itself.
A lush and lovely celebration of urban nature’s gifts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
ISBN: 9780593858448
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world.
Be a “somebody” who makes a difference!
A Black child witnesses various transgressions over the course of a day. Noticing trash on the walk to the bus stop, the young narrator thinks, “Somebody should do something about that.” Two students push their way ahead of everyone else in order to get good seats on the school bus, prompting the child to muse, “Somebody should speak up about that.” Throughout the day, the child notices examples of bullying and unfairness. These seemingly minor infractions start mounting. Finally, when the protagonist’s teacher tells the students that it’s snack time, the narrator notices that some students don’t have anything to eat. Instead of wishing for a “somebody,” the perceptive pupil realizes, “I am Somebody” and shares food with the others. The epiphany doesn’t stop there. When the narrator arrives home and notices there are toys everywhere but Mom is on a work call, the child responds to Mom’s request for help by cleaning up the mess. Accompanied by simple yet expressive illustrations, this is a loving and much-needed story that encourages kids to make a difference; pair it with Joshunda Sanders’ I Can Write the World (2019), illustrated by Charly Palmer. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780762480517
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
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