The magic of grandparents is undeniable, and this book is an excellent treat for grandkids to share with their own grandmas...
Treasure could be hiding in the most surprising places.
When grandma Mimi visits her young granddaughter, the story’s narrator, the stylish black woman’s huge purse provides endless opportunities for play. The little black girl imagines herself bejeweled and bedazzled with grandma Mimi’s finery. Lipstick, hairpins, sunglasses, and candy are but a few of the riches stashed deep within the bag of possibilities, which she explores while engaged in an animated conversation about what she finds with her grandma. Brantley-Newton, a self-taught illustrator whose artwork is a combination of drawing, painting, and digital work, creates a whimsical interplay of patterns, rich color, and her trademark lively expressions. Grandma Mimi’s purse itself is a patchwork of colors and patterns, and buried within it are objects of various sizes, some that sparkle and others that are soft and silky—a beautiful visual mélange. Grandma Mimi wears big, round spectacles and has a towering, white Afro, while the narrator pairs her lacy top with jeans—it’s easy to see she gets her sense of fashion from her grandma. While the storytelling falters slightly and lacks nuance, the straightforward sweetness of the tale more than makes up for it.
The magic of grandparents is undeniable, and this book is an excellent treat for grandkids to share with their own grandmas and grandpas, or the other way around . (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-1431-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
A welcome can-do story about environmental activism.
When Emmy and Callum hear a bird hit their window, they are worried that it might be hurt.
The bird flies away unscathed, but it gets Emmy and Callum thinking about what other parts of their home might be dangerous for birds—and what they can do to make it less so. With the help of their mother, they begin by putting decals on their windows, filling the bird feeder, and letting flowers go to seed. As the year progresses, they learn more about what birds need at different times of the year. In the fall, when birds migrate, Emmy and Callum turn off the disorienting porch lights and fill their jack-o’-lantern with healthy birdseed. In the winter, when snow falls, they build a shelter of sticks. Soon Emmy and Callum decide they want to do more, eventually involving the whole neighborhood in transforming the area into a certified wildlife habitat. As narrated by Callum, this book is an engaging guide to environmental activism. Emmy and Callum’s gradual shift from individual actions to community organizing feels organic and doable: Readers can accomplish almost all of the activities they model. (More information is provided in the backmatter, along with resources.) At times the prose gets clunky, but generally the text is clear and fun to read aloud. The gentle, pastel-hued illustrations feature a brown-skinned family and neatly complement the earnest and gentle text.
A welcome can-do story about environmental activism. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8075-2753-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
An exuberant story that might encourage older children to consider Mom’s needs more often.
Where do moms get their energy?
The baby protagonist starts things off by putting the question out there: Do mommies ever sleep? Newsflash: Real-life children, particularly egocentric babies and toddlers, never ask this question. Yet this little one, who narrates in rhyme, seems genuinely concerned about how much Mommy manages to do, without stopping to rest for even a minute. Mommy seems to be attentive to her child’s every need, though she looks haggard and frazzled. In fact, the baby eventually becomes worried at how exhausted Mommy is and decides it’s time for some shut-eye: “I’ll show her bedtime’s fun!” The young narrator guides Mommy through a familiar bedtime routine, giving her a bath, reading her a story, singing with her, tucking her in under a cozy blanket, giving her a hug and a kiss, turning off the light, and saying a final “I love you” before the little one settles down for the night, too. This gently humorous, knowing story has an adult sensibility and will make a good gift for baby showers and new parents. Though the rhymes are a tad clunky, the illustrations, created with colored pencil and acrylic-painted paper collage, are lively and endearing. Mommy has lightly tanned skin, while her baby is brown-skinned.
An exuberant story that might encourage older children to consider Mom’s needs more often. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780316669665
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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