A hypnotic joy.
Two siblings explore the quixotic wonders of the desert in Peña’s author-illustrator debut.
A speck of matter traverses the sky with a resounding “KRAKBOOM,” landing with a final “PLONK!” The kids—both cued Latine, one bespectacled and squat, the other tall, with a long black braid—set off to investigate. As they clamber over a rock wall, the desert stretches before them. Past their border city and its bulldozers and concrete, the protagonists “follow the trail of sundust, to where the sky has no walls and daydreams soar.” The sundust flitters, a luminescent streak of rich pinks and purples that intoxicatingly unwinds from page to page, touching the spiny ocotillo, a field of creosote bushes, and an uninhabited turtle’s shell. Peña’s splendid pencil-and-gouache artwork contrasts the earth-kissed browns and greens of the desert with all the nooks, crannies, and cracks that the sundust slips into, magnifying the natural beauty of the desert with “Sun’s tough love.” With an adventurous spirit, the children gaze upon the rocks that “remember everything from a time before,” cherish the desert heat that deepens their brown skin, and swim alongside the River Spirit. Suddenly, a colibrí (Spanish for hummingbird) soars over their heads, and the brave youth grab onto the bird—now huge—as they’re whisked away. Punctuated by the occasional speech bubble, the steady, elegiac collective narration underscores the ties between siblings and their love for their desert home.
A hypnotic joy. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9780593700112
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
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
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
