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JUST LIKE ME

Name: JUST LIKE ME
Author: Marjorie Newman
ISBN: 0-8027-8080-6

by Marjorie Newman & illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2006

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Feelings of possessiveness and jealousy emerge when Tom gets a new baby brother. Even before the baby is born, Tom asserts his place: “That’s my crib!” His parents suggest ways for him to participate in caring for the baby, but Tom will have none of it. In a final fit of jealousy, he throws the baby’s towel, climbs into “his” crib and sobs, “I want my mom!” Mom and Dad then sit down with Tom and the photo album. Tom learns that he used to be just like the baby, and soon, the baby will be just like him and not need so much time and attention. This solution is successful, and Tom is rather philosophical at bedtime. “He liked his new toys, but he loved his old teddy bear the most because he had come first and would always be special.” Visible brush strokes and the texture of the underlying canvas add to the tone of Wilson-Max’s boldly-colored illustrations, in which body language speaks louder than facial expression. A positive suggestion for parents hoping to alleviate new-sibling-itis. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: May 1, 2006

ISBN: 0-8027-8080-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Walker

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2006

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
MOLE AND THE BABY BIRD
by Marjorie Newman & illustrated by Patrick Benson

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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HOW TO CATCH A MAMASAURUS

From the How To Catch… series

by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024

A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.

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Another creature is on the loose.

The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.