An engaging and inspirational celebration of roots.
In Ramirez’s picture book, a cat visits his family in Miami and is immersed in his Cuban heritage.
Kuro, a black cat who lives in Amsterdam, goes on his annual trip to Miami to visit his proudly Cuban, multigenerational family. During his visit, Kuro learns of the Cuban cortado beverage from his great-grandmother, plays dominoes at Domino Park with his great-grandfather, and dances with his Salvadoran grandmother to salsa. “Even if you live far away,” reassures Kuro’s Abuelo, “our roots always go with you.” Kuro’s family members dispense many memorable lines about the importance of family and heritage, such as when Abuela says, “We come from many places, but we are one family.” Kuro poignantly reflects on his trip: “Soon I’ll return home, but everything I experienced here lives inside me.” Such lines, when read aloud in Spanish, have a pleasing lyrical quality; their simple sophistication is not lost in the English translations, which appear on each page. Martins’ illustrations are equally evocative—the bright and colorful images deftly transmit the warmth of Kuro’s family. At the end of the book, the author provides a glossary of Spanish words used in the book, as well as a “Meet My Family” section that highlights each character. The text also includes a section titled “My Family and Me,” which invites readers to reflect on and draw or write about their own families in the blank space provided.
An engaging and inspirational celebration of roots.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 26
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: tomorrow
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
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