A simple, clearly worded text about divorce for the youngest children, this will help parents hammer home the twin messages that it is not the child’s fault and that the child is loved very much by each parent, no matter what happens. Blond-haired, blue-eyed Addison narrates his own tale, showing a map of his town and the two houses he lives in. He matter-of-factly explains his situation, telling readers that he sometimes misses the parent he is not with, but that he is safe with each of them: “Even when we are apart, we can look out our windows...and enjoy the same moon.” While not particularly artful, Schmitz’s brightly colored, realistic illustrations portray real people with real emotions. While readers never see Mom and Dad in friendly communication with each other, they are both present at Addison’s activities, supporting him and patently acknowledging their love for him. Meeting a real need, this is an excellent choice for the preschool set. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: May 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8431-3221-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This message of friendship, though oft told, bears repeating, especially for the youngest readers.
An allegory about accepting one another, one letter at a time.
In a land where high walls separate each of the 26 letters (seen in the endpapers), life is rather monotonous. The H’s live only with other H’s and therefore speak just one letter: H. The same is true for the rest of the alphabet, all walled off and safe from one another. Then an intrepid lowercase h discovers a hole in the wall, reaches through, and discovers…a lowercase i! Ecstatic, they greet each other, but their happiness is cut short when the capital letters discover and forbid their friendship. Disheartened, the two friends send letters (in the form of paper airplanes) that soar over many walls, unexpectedly offering new opportunities to x’s, b’s, y’s, and more. Once again the capital letters try to interfere, but the lowercase letters have discovered that the most important words of all—“courage,” “kindness,” “trust”—are made up of many letters and can break down walls. Expressive, anthropomorphic letters, set in a bright, pastel palette, lend the book a cartoon look and feel that keeps the story lighthearted. Spreads alternate between vignettes and full-page illustrations to keep readers engaged. Even pre-readers will recognize letters set in bold, big shapes, enabling caregivers to incorporate early-literacy lessons into the read-aloud experience.
This message of friendship, though oft told, bears repeating, especially for the youngest readers. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-525-55402-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A timely message in the wrong format.
This book delivers a message on the power of collective action.
As the book opens, a child looks at a lone star shining in the sky: “One star shines as distant light.” After the turn of the page, the child now sees what looks like the Milky Way: “And when stars shine together, they make our galaxy.” The book goes on to give a number of similar examples to reinforce the message of the power that comes from working together, ending with: “One of us can speak up for justice / And when we speak up together we create a world of possibility.” In the current atmosphere of strife and discord that divides our country, this is certainly a welcome message. Perhaps, though, the board-book set is not the right audience. As a picture book aimed at a slightly older group with an information page at the end explaining some of the illustrations, it might work well. As it is, however, some of the visual references will merely puzzle a toddler—and some adults. For example, a group of angry-looking people raising their fists and singing together may not look like “harmony” to a toddler—unless they know about the New Zealand haka. There is an unexplained frog motif that runs through the book that may also mystify readers. Nagara’s brilliant illustrations portray people of many ethnic backgrounds.
A timely message in the wrong format. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64421-084-0
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Triangle Square Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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