Gently soothing but may struggle to hold readers’ attention.
Rowley adapts his adult novel The Guncle (2021)—a warm and witty tale of loss and family—into picture-book format.
Siblings Maisie, 9, and Grant, 6, are spending the summer with their caftan-wearing GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) under the warm, sunny blue skies of Palm Springs. The kids are still reeling from the death of their mother, while GUP is confronting a loss of his own (in the original book, his partner died; here, a framed picture hints at the source of his grief). But GUP is determined to cheer everyone up with some perfectly fabulous activities: taking a dip in the pool (filled with oversize floats shaped like Popsicles, doughnuts, and fruit), visiting a dinosaur-themed roadside attraction, and adopting a rambunctious puppy. Nothing works—until an impromptu Christmas in July celebration in the balmy heat elicits smiles. And on the children’s last night, GUP reassures them that while in the future, festivities may feel different, “There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s okay to make up new rules to help you heal.” Young readers with LGBTQ+ family members who live unapologetically out loud will see themselves in this earnestly told story, though others may be put off by the slow pacing and lengthy, at times didactic text. Though Rowley emphasizes the characters’ collective loss, Kaban’s pencil and gouache art features wide-eyed, expressive faces that typically read as disappointed or bored. The main characters are tan-skinned.
Gently soothing but may struggle to hold readers’ attention. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 19, 2026
ISBN: 9798217001873
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.
Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.
Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217032464
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown.
In Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Hurts’ motivational picture book, a youngster rebounds from disappointment.
As Jalen heads off on his first day of school, he daydreams about joining the football team, but his friend Trey soon breaks the bad news. The garden club needed more space for vegetables, so the football field was used for planting. There will be no football this year. Jalen is despondent, but his teachers Mrs. Lee and Mr. Barry and bodega owner Mr. Muhammad offer guidance that spurs him and his friends into positive action. They work to flip a nearby empty lot into a football field, with Jalen echoing his mentors’ adages. Once the field is complete, Jalen feels a swell of pride in his and his friends’ work. While the idea of kids working together to effect change is a laudable one, the bland, wordy storytelling won’t inspire young people or hold their attention. Tired, cliched inspirational comments peppered throughout often slow down the narrative, and many adult readers will find the premise—a school dropping a high-interest sports program in favor of a community garden—wildly unrealistic. Though the illustrations are colorful, with a Disney Junior charm, strange stylistic choices, such as signs with odd combinations of scribbles instead of letters, give them an unpolished look. Like Hurts, Jalen is Black; his community is diverse.
Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9798217040308
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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