Vague, slapdash reassurances to readers growing up in a worrisome world.
Simple comforts for young fretters and overthinkers.
Recycling themes and even some images from The I'm Not Scared Book (2011), Parr first enumerates a selective list of things that can cause anxiety (fears of the dark or of having to go to the doctor, having too much to do, being bullied) and times that worrying can happen. The latter include lying awake in bed, watching TV, "looking at screens too much" (a frazzled-looking person holds a tablet), and overhearing "bad news"—exemplified with an image of a flying saucer, travelers from abroad (of one sort or another) being much on people's minds these days. He then goes on to general coping strategies ranging from taking deep breaths to visiting friends, dancing, squeezing a toy, or just thinking about "everyone who loves and takes care of you!" "Worrying doesn't help you," he concludes, but talking about concerns will. Readers searching for books that address deeper-seated anxiety might be better served by Me and My Fear, by Francesca Sanna (2018). In Parr's thick-lined, minimally detailed illustrations, the artist employs his characteristic technique of adding blue, purple, and bright yellow to the palette of skin tones; he also occasionally switches out human figures for dogs or cats behaving as people would. It's a strategy, though it leaves the cast with a generic look overall.
Vague, slapdash reassurances to readers growing up in a worrisome world. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-316-50668-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A welcome addition to rainbow bookshelves and a potential workhorse in June.
A pleasant look at the rainbow flag.
Tailor-made for LGBTQ–pride storytimes, this self-described “first book of pride” looks at the six-color rainbow flag and dissects the meaning behind each color. Genhart’s text is set primarily in single sentences across each double-page spread, with a longer summation on the final page. Fans of Todd Parr’s books will find the formatting (if not the colors) familiar. Like Parr’s work, the text is simple, with one or two multisyllabic words per page, which nicely allows for breakaway moments to “clap out” syllables or have a discussion about a reach word. Passchier’s illustrations—bright, serviceable, and most likely digital—capture a range of skin tones and ethnicities but, sadly, not a range of ages among adults depicted. LGBTQ grandparents, for instance, won’t find themselves, as all the characters appear as either children or young caregivers. The illustrations adequately enhance the text throughout, although the image for violet’s representation of “spirit” (a smiling child finger painting in a purple room) may have adult readers pausing to make the connection. A page of international pride further along in the book is lovely but aspirational, as some of the suggested nations (Egypt, for example) still struggle with LGBTQ acceptance compared to Western Europe and the United States.
A welcome addition to rainbow bookshelves and a potential workhorse in June. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3087-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not to everyone’s taste, but those searching for ways to explain and explore mindfulness with little people will be pleased.
This how-to board book coaches toddlers on the methodology of deep breathing.
Using a meditative, repetitive style, an omniscient narrator obliquely explains the process of feeling and controlling one’s breath, a process readers learn “helps you rest.” Initially the instructions, such as placing hands on one’s tummy to feel it moving up and down, are quite clear. However, the directions become harder to follow as the metaphor grows more protracted and abstract, comparing breathing to an “ocean wave” that becomes a “smooth wave” with deep breaths, though patient adult caregivers will probably be able to help young charges bridge this gap. Good-natured, colorful art features diverse adults and children who adequately model the instructions, though the roughly drawn faces with triangular noses and loud, red-circle cheeks on oversized heads look a little peculiar. Companion text Loving Kindness, a meditation dedicated to building empathy and other “happy feelings for little ones,” is filled with sweet scenes between family members and affirmations such as “use gentle hands when you play. You can share happiness.” An earnest reading of these purposeful instructions will feel natural to some but corny to others.
Not to everyone’s taste, but those searching for ways to explain and explore mindfulness with little people will be pleased. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: April 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-78285-748-8
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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