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ONE PERSON

Name: ONE PERSON
Author: Wee Hae-June
ISBN: 9781736226421

by Wee Hae-June ; illustrated by Yael Frankel ; translated by Paige Aniyah Morris ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

An important message of sensitivity and compassion, hampered by disconcerting visuals.

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What to do when we feel lonely, rejected, and isolated?

It’s easy to feel shut out, “though you haven’t done anything wrong.” Our narrator worries that “more and more people turn away, whisper, ignore me.” Happily, even in this harsh situation, it takes just “one person to stand by your side,” “look you in the eyes,” and “hold your hand” to make a difference. Translated from Korean, Hae-June’s text asks readers to consider being that one person; after all, “any of us can be.” He stresses that “the more courage one person can gather, the more things will change.” This encouraging, inspiring text is paired with incongruous illustrations. Though they appear to be drawn in Frankel’s signature style, with a fine-tipped pen, the images here, in contrast to her earlier work, are unappealing. She depicts small people with ungainly proportions, their stumpy bodies topped by outsize, neckless, distorted heads and beady eyes. Almost all their helmetlike hair is colorless, with touches of pigment on objects nearby, in settings bare of anything but Frankel’s balloonish blobs, and later, an odd-looking tree. An austere typeface reinforces the gravity of this severely restrained design. Though readers might appreciate the uplifting text, the art will likely put off most.

An important message of sensitivity and compassion, hampered by disconcerting visuals. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9781736226421

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press

Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)