A joyful nod to soccer’s power to unite the world in one resounding goal.
Zoom in on a dazzling soccer pitch buzzing with energy just before kickoff.
Back at home, family and friends gather to watch a match between Spain and Argentina on TV. It doesn’t matter that they support opposing teams; they share snacks, laughter, and a love of the game. From opposite ends of the couch, they debate the referee’s calls while wearing their team jerseys. The first goal sends the stands into a frenzy. Cheers in many languages float across the page, surrounding the celebrating scorer, who points to the crowd in grateful reverence. Tensions rise as the other team tries to catch up. A player makes a fierce kick, and the goalie dives, but the ball slips past and…“GOOOOOOOOOOL!” Visually, the jubilant word unfurls across multiple pages, stretching beyond the stadium and into outer space in a typographic crescendo that turns a single score into a global echo. Illustrations in muted yet lively colors depicting expressive figures create an inviting atmosphere, while cinematic compositions, frequent speech bubbles, and dynamic angles heighten the playful energy. Players and fans alike are racially diverse, with a wide range of skin tones and hairstyles. A wholesome, simple message of unity and belonging prevails, endearing this story to young fans of the game and their grown-ups.
A joyful nod to soccer’s power to unite the world in one resounding goal. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798217228287
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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