A meandering but heartfelt tale of imagination from a real-life musical master.
Singer/songwriter Amos makes her picture-book debut with this tale of a youngster seeking inspiration.
Tori is an uncommon talent on the piano. She longs to play what she desires—“what the Muses want me to play”—but her stern father instructs her to buckle down before her upcoming recital. Soon after, 11 ethereal, personified Muses, who have been visiting her and offering her inspiration since she was a baby, arrive with a surprise: a magical pink piano, carried by golden faeries. The Muses give Tori a mission—learn what inspires others, and find out what types of Muses they hear. Tori floats through town trailed by her piano, greeting her friends, playing them songs, and learning about their passions, which include everything from bugs to baking. She rushes home to play one more song for her father. Finally opening his heart and realizing that numbers are his Muses, Dad appreciates the mathematical rhythm of her music for the first time. Fantastical, at times surreal illustrations depict doll-like characters as they move through an oceanside town. Amos’ narrative is somewhat weighed down by a winding plotline, but the uplifting message about the importance of following one’s passion shines through. Tori and her father read white; hairstyle, clothing, and skin tone cue the Muses as racially and ethnically diverse.
A meandering but heartfelt tale of imagination from a real-life musical master. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593750346
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
