Move over Superhero Dad—there’s a new superhero in town.
As in their previous collaboration (2016), Knapman and Berger spin a young girl’s ordinary routine so that it seems her mother must be a superhero: whipping up breakfast (including “mending” the mixer with a screwdriver before using it), carrying a bunch of things (including her daughter!) and “flying” to the bus stop, making up fun games to play, kissing and bandaging injuries, and finding lost items. Knapman’s rhyming text sometimes stumbles in its rhythm, and the rhyme scheme, usually abcb, falters as it approaches the book’s conclusion. And unlike in the Dad title, in which the father turns the tables and says his son is the superhero for being “brave and kind and fun,” the mother here simply states: “Every mom’s a superhero / and so is every girl!” Rainbow-bright colors, dots, stripes, and stars fill the pages, befitting the superhero theme. Both mother and child are white with reddish hair, mom’s in a perky ponytail. Other parents and children in the background are diverse; all female characters sport eyelashes. Eyes—just black dots in otherwise white eyes—can sometimes appear manic rather than enthusiastic.
Superhero Dad would be the clear victor in a matchup against Superhero Mom, though neither can stand up to Superman. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0567-1
Page Count: 29
Publisher: Nosy Crow/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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Sincere and wholehearted.
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The NBA star offers a poem that encourages curiosity, integrity, compassion, courage, and self-forgiveness.
James makes his debut as a children’s author with a motivational poem touting life habits that children should strive for. In the first-person narration, he provides young readers with foundational self-esteem encouragement layered within basketball descriptions: “I promise to run full court and show up each time / to get right back up and let my magic shine.” While the verse is nothing particularly artful, it is heartfelt, and in her illustrations, Mata offers attention-grabbing illustrations of a diverse and enthusiastic group of children. Scenes vary, including classrooms hung with student artwork, an asphalt playground where kids jump double Dutch, and a gym populated with pint-sized basketball players, all clearly part of one bustling neighborhood. Her artistry brings black and brown joy to the forefront of each page. These children evince equal joy in learning and in play. One particularly touching double-page spread depicts two vignettes of a pair of black children, possibly siblings; in one, they cuddle comfortably together, and in the other, the older gives the younger a playful noogie. Adults will appreciate the closing checklist of promises, which emphasize active engagement with school. A closing note very generally introduces principles that underlie the Lebron James Family Foundation’s I Promise School (in Akron, Ohio). (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 15% of actual size.)
Sincere and wholehearted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-297106-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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SEEN & HEARD
The author of The Patchwork Bike (illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd, 2016) writes to children about the meaning of the phrase Black Lives Matter.
Pastel illustrations, also by Clarke, on dark, textured paper are paired with oversized, contrasting text addressed to “Little one.” In the visuals, a family that begins as a couple expecting a baby grows into a family with a child and then becomes part of a community in protest, marching for Black lives, before a final page shows a jubilant Black boy in a cap and gown. The adult narrator explains that “when we say Black Lives Matter, / we’re saying Black people are wonderful-strong.” Other meanings of the rallying cry, when it is called out, screamed, sung, laughed, and known, include a demand for respect, a defiant joy, a channeling of ancestors, an acknowledgment of trouble, and knowing one’s worth. Clarke’s text is poignant and mesmerizing, with design elements that raise the text to an artistic level, shaping it around the art and highlighting active and emotional words in color: enough, dancing, radiant, precious. The art is truly outstanding, gripping the heart from the very first spread and not letting go. With colored shapes and stained-glass motifs, these Black figures feel real and weighty. Within this deep dive are tragedy, fear, anger, and mourning alongside hope, comfort, strength, and triumph. This slim book contains a necessary and healing exploration of our current moment that will remain relevant for decades to come.
An astonishing work of art and a crucial addition to every bookshelf. (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2238-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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Reagan and Wildish continue their How to… series with this Halloween-themed title.
If you’ve ever had a hankering to scare a ghost, this handbook is what you need. In it, a pair of siblings shows readers “how to attract a ghost” (they like creepily carved pumpkins and glitter), identify a ghost (real ghosts “never, ever open doors”), and scare a ghost (making faces, telling scary stories). Also included is a warning not to go too far—a vacuum is over-the-top on the scary chart for ghosts. Once you’ve calmed your ghost again, it’s time to play (just not hide-and-seek or on a trampoline) and then decide on costumes for trick-or-treating. Your ghost will also need to learn Halloween etiquette (knocking instead of floating through doors). The title seems a little misleading considering only two spreads are dedicated to trying to scare a ghost, but the package as a whole is entertaining. Wildish’s digital cartoon illustrations are as bright as ever, and the brother and sister duo have especially expressive faces. Both are white-presenting, as are all the other characters except for some kids in the very last spread.
The tips garnered here could be used to scare just about anyone, and for those scared of ghosts, at least your carpets will be clean from all the vacuuming. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-0190-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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