Refreshingly simple, humorous, and playful.
Young Eleanor Sue loves to play dress-up on Saturdays, and her mother plays along perfectly.
Dark type in a large font proclaims against the faded gold wallpaper of a room filled with clothes: “Today is Saturday, Eleanor Sue’s favorite day to do her favorite thing—play dress-up.” The little girl is wearing an olive-green dress and appears ready to add still more brush strokes to a ridiculously large, bouffant hairdo. She leaves through her bedroom window, grabbing a garden gnome on the way, and appears at the front door. She introduces herself as Mrs. McMuffins, a new neighbor, and then spouts off an absurd list of problems she’s identified in her new neighborhood. Eleanor Sue’s mother offers tea and listens, straight-faced, to such absurdities as how the sun in the window forces Mrs. McMuffins to wear sunglasses at nap time, and how her eyebrows hurt. Tusa’s trademark pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor washes complement the lighthearted mood of the text. Each of Eleanor Sue’s quick changes—which include a witch, a wizard, a bear, and more—leads to another funny conversation with her mother, along with plenty of exciting vocabulary (“prosperous,” “ferocious,” “centaur,” “equator”) and imaginative ideas. There is also a good deal of humorous action between that bedroom window and the front door. For example, how fast can a “cat” change into another costume and back again? The ending is unexpected—and equal in caliber to the entire book’s warmth and whimsy. Both Eleanor Sue and her mother present white.
Refreshingly simple, humorous, and playful. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-14323-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
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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