A sweet and simple story about an intergenerational friendship and the bond between neighbors.
A friendship between a young boy and his older neighbor blossoms in a shared backyard.
Khalil and his “big and busy and noisy” family have just moved into their new home. They live upstairs, and “quiet” Mr. Hagerty lives downstairs. Khalil and Mr. Hagerty share the backyard, where both enjoy their own activities. While Mr. Hagerty gardens, Khalil explores, looking for bugs and rocks. A hot summer day brings them together to look for treasures, fueled by chocolate cake and glasses of milk. What starts as a gentle, tentative relationship between the two (Mr. Hagerty helps Khalil “figure out a word” in a book he’s reading while Khalil “[helps] Mr. Hagerty with his words, too”) grows into something stronger. Springstubb directly introduces both characters, building and expanding their relationship from the start, clearly reinforcing that Mr. Hagerty and Khalil both need each other and enjoy each other’s company. Taherian’s illustrations—collage with oil and colored pencil—strengthen the focus on the relationship between Mr. Hagerty and Khalil, revealing little details: In Khalil’s upstairs apartment two adults hold babies, and below sits Mr. Hagerty in a chair, reading. These careful glimpses give readers space to build their own backstories for Springstubb’s endearing characters. Khalil and his family have olive skin, and Mr. Hagerty presents white.
A sweet and simple story about an intergenerational friendship and the bond between neighbors. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0306-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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