UNCLE PETE AND THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT BEAT

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UNCLE PETE AND THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT BEAT

Name: UNCLE PETE AND THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT BEAT
Author: Vincent Schoofs

by Vincent Schoofs ; illustrated by Brandon Le & Nguyen Phan ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

A uniquely musical take on coping with the grief of losing a parent.

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Two children turn to their visiting uncle, a red panda, to help them cope with the grief of losing their mother in this rhythmic picture book.

Elvira and Alexandra, based on Belgian author Schoofs’ daughters, are grieving their Chinese mother’s death. Uncle Pete, a musician, comes “to magic some smiles on to our faces” with plans to lay a track to the perfect beat. Uncle Pete, with his bushy tail sticking out from his shirt, starts his visit with food and fun. At a visit to the temple, he reminds the girls no matter where they go, they are never separate from their mother’s love. The sisters help Uncle Pete make music, but it’s still not quite right. Later, after a colorful, musical dream in which the girls’ mother promises to be with them always, Uncle Pete gathers the family for a hug, where they all realize their heartbeats, joined in love, are the perfect beat. Schoofs’ rhyming stanzas have uniquely syncopated rhythms, which can make the scansion challenging. The vocabulary includes words in Chinese (some in untranslated Chinese characters) and strange phrases, like “flaneur about town,” which may require explanation. The Chinese elements enhance the reading experience, and they reflect Elvira and Alexandra’s heritage. Le and Phan’s bright digital illustrations, especially in the dream sequence, emphasize the way that joy can help to combat grief, with the message that enjoying life doesn’t lessen love for the person who is lost.

A uniquely musical take on coping with the grief of losing a parent.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Manuscript

Review Posted Online: March 18, 2021

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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A BIKE LIKE SERGIO'S

by Maribeth Boelts ; illustrated by Noah Z. Jones ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 4, 2016

Embedded in this heartwarming story of doing the right thing is a deft examination of the pressures of income inequality on...

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Continuing from their acclaimed Those Shoes (2007), Boelts and Jones entwine conversations on money, motives, and morality.

This second collaboration between author and illustrator is set within an urban multicultural streetscape, where brown-skinned protagonist Ruben wishes for a bike like his friend Sergio’s. He wishes, but Ruben knows too well the pressure his family feels to prioritize the essentials. While Sergio buys a pack of football cards from Sonny’s Grocery, Ruben must buy the bread his mom wants. A familiar lady drops what Ruben believes to be a $1 bill, but picking it up, to his shock, he discovers $100! Is this Ruben’s chance to get himself the bike of his dreams? In a fateful twist, Ruben loses track of the C-note and is sent into a panic. After finally finding it nestled deep in a backpack pocket, he comes to a sense of moral clarity: “I remember how it was for me when that money that was hers—then mine—was gone.” When he returns the bill to her, the lady offers Ruben her blessing, leaving him with double-dipped emotions, “happy and mixed up, full and empty.” Readers will be pleased that there’s no reward for Ruben’s choice of integrity beyond the priceless love and warmth of a family’s care and pride.

Embedded in this heartwarming story of doing the right thing is a deft examination of the pressures of income inequality on children. (Picture book. 5-8)