A sweet tale about coming together to enjoy home-grown food.
In this picture book, a community garden is the scene of a delightful vegetable feast.
Grandpa’s community garden is full of vegetable wonders that bring people together from all walks of life. One by one, Gardella introduces readers to each of the ingredients for a healthy meal that the grandkids assemble. They begin with that classic staple, lettuce, then move on to radishes, celery, and more. The author describes the appearance and role of each part of the salad: “These are the beets, pickled or plain, / Painting the lettuce with their rich, red stain, / And bringing some softness to the luscious salad / That comes from Grandpa’s garden.” Confusingly, Gardella’s verse style echoes that of the classic rhyme “This Is the House That Jack Built,” but misses the opportunity for each line to build on the previous one to create a long, continuous string of steps for salad-making. As the meal takes shape, readers will find that one of the most important additions to the salad does not grow in the garden, but instead is the multiracial family that sits around the table to eat it. Donnelly’s brightly colored, highly detailed illustrations demonstrate how to prepare the ingredients, such as putting the lettuce in a salad spinner and grating the carrots. Together with Donnelly’s instructive pictures, this engaging story encourages sustainable practices and a community mindset in its readers, who may still be learning where their food comes from.
A sweet tale about coming together to enjoy home-grown food.Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9781959412274
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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