A sweet, community-building story that highlights different abilities and the importance of offering a helping hand.
A young fox who is deaf inspires every creature she meets to help others in Peterson’s picture book.
Ada the fox has been wearing aids to help her hear since she was just a cub. Her parents tell her that just like her hearing aids are helpers to assist her in hearing better, she can be a helper, too. On her way to dance in a talent show, Ada meets a mole who can’t see well in the light, a finch who stutters but sings beautifully, and a snake who can’t reach apples from a tree. After she encourages each of them, the three friends join Ada at the talent show to help keep her fears (“will the others laugh at me?”) from getting in the way of her dancing. With a catchy refrain about helping others, this rhyming picture book affirms the notion that a kind word, no matter how small, can be just what someone else needs to hear. Peterson shows that kindness magnified back, creating a community of helpers. The text’s scansion flows well throughout with a steady beat worthy of Ada’s breakdancing. ASL translations highlight a word in each spread and provide directions for signing the letters. Fischer’s cartoon illustrations feature friendly forest animals wearing various articles of human clothing; the muted earth tones work well for the woodland setting and make Ada’s purple tutu stand out.
A sweet, community-building story that highlights different abilities and the importance of offering a helping hand.Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 9788269219616
Page Count: 39
Publisher: Launch Mission Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world.
Be a “somebody” who makes a difference!
A Black child witnesses various transgressions over the course of a day. Noticing trash on the walk to the bus stop, the young narrator thinks, “Somebody should do something about that.” Two students push their way ahead of everyone else in order to get good seats on the school bus, prompting the child to muse, “Somebody should speak up about that.” Throughout the day, the child notices examples of bullying and unfairness. These seemingly minor infractions start mounting. Finally, when the protagonist’s teacher tells the students that it’s snack time, the narrator notices that some students don’t have anything to eat. Instead of wishing for a “somebody,” the perceptive pupil realizes, “I am Somebody” and shares food with the others. The epiphany doesn’t stop there. When the narrator arrives home and notices there are toys everywhere but Mom is on a work call, the child responds to Mom’s request for help by cleaning up the mess. Accompanied by simple yet expressive illustrations, this is a loving and much-needed story that encourages kids to make a difference; pair it with Joshunda Sanders’ I Can Write the World (2019), illustrated by Charly Palmer. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780762480517
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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