Hold tight to this gentle story about depression.
A tender story of a young child struggling to understand Daddy’s illness.
As Ella watches Daddy sleep, all is not what it seems. The child takes the initiative to wake him up and, after many attempts, finally succeeds. Something still does not seem right. Maybe he has a cut or a tummy ache, but bandages and cookies don’t seem to help. Daddy explains he has something called depression. It makes him sad and tired, and it feels like something is weighing him down. He gently explains how he manages depression with therapy, exercise, and his family. Wanting to help, Ella learns that love and lots of tight hugs can give Daddy strength and hope. Engelberg, a psychologist, pens a simple and compelling story of parental depression. Even simplified for the audience, the subject is still a frightening topic, but Haley’s colorful illustrations with bold patterns provide a safe place for the conversation between father and child, who both present White. Illness of any sort is a hard concept for children to understand, let alone one that cannot be physically seen. Haley illustrates depression with dark clouds, adding layers of texture to brighten the clouds and present depression in the story as an illness, not a villain. By the end, Ella’s understanding of Daddy’s behavior transforms the clouds of depression into a rainbow of hope. Two pages of backmatter aimed at caregivers provide further information. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 34.9% of actual size.)
Hold tight to this gentle story about depression. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3109-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
Nice enough, but its twinkle is on the faint side.
A boy gets an unusual payoff after wishing on a star.
Sitting outside one night, Clyde notices a lone star in the sky. He recites the “Star light, star bright” incantation and makes a wish. Disappointed when it doesn’t come true, he returns home. But later, while he’s asleep, the star he’d wished on sneaks into his bedroom and makes a wish on him! Startled awake, Clyde wonders how to grant Star’s wish. He shares some ideas (and actual objects) with her: a game of checkers, tent camping, tossing a Frisbee, and walkie-talkies. Star likes them, but they’re not her wishes; Clyde confides there’s no one to enjoy them with—and wonders if perhaps Star had wished for a friend. No one will be surprised at what Clyde next confesses to Star. The pair winds up playing together and becoming besties. This is a sweet but thin and predictable story about making friends. Still, readers will appreciate meeting feisty, celestial Star. The author reaches for humor using colloquialisms (“freaked out”), and kids will like the comfortable familiarity that develops between the cheery protagonists. The colored-pencil illustrations are rendered in a limited palette of mostly dark blues and purples, appropriate to the nighttime setting. Star is a luminous, pale yellow with a white topknot and has a star-dappled aura around her. Purple-pj’d Clyde wears bunny slippers and presents White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough, but its twinkle is on the faint side. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-399-17132-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Gives new meaning to the notion that every dog—or pup—has its day.
A young girl learns that plans that go awry need not spoil the day.
Ollie has ambitious intentions for dog sitting Milo, her grandmother’s puppy, but those plans are spoiled when he chews up her drawing, a gift intended for Grandma when she returns from visiting friends. The girl scolds the little dog and then takes some time to herself, leaving him behind and walking farther and farther away from home in order to cool off. But as the illustrations show, Milo is never far behind, surreptitiously trailing her all the way through the woods. Ollie reflects on the part she played in the drawing’s destruction, since she knew better than to leave it unguarded on the floor, and she regrets getting mad at the dog. When she finally stops and wishes for company, the loyal pup is right nearby. They spend their day frolicking in the woods, playing fetch, splashing in mud puddles, and hunting for treasure as pirates. When they return home, she still has time to draw another picture or two. Accessible text with relatable, appealing characters helps the message of adaptability go down smoothly. The charming artwork features various shades of gray as well as pink and red spot color, often in heart shapes. Ollie, who has skin the white of the page, wears a dog costume throughout the story. Her experience demonstrates that things can work out just fine, even when they weren’t what you had in mind.
Gives new meaning to the notion that every dog—or pup—has its day. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781665965903
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
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