Fran Manushkin

Using a cumulative form similar to that found in the classic nursery rhyme The House That Jack Built, Fran Manushkin creates a rollicking Passover poem in this engaging picture-book, one which offers a joyful celebration of family love and tradition at the holidays. "This is me standing tall and proud / to ask the Four Questions nice and loud / during the Passover Seder we shared / to eat the feast that Mama made / with the matzah that Papa brought home," it reads at one point, adding more show more and more on to the rhyme, as the evening passes and the narrator's family observes all the rituals of their Seder together.

This lighthearted book is the second Passover title from Fran Manushkin that I have read this year, following upon her Miriam's Cup, which focuses on the female experience in the biblical Passover and Exodus stories. In this contemporary title we see a family celebrating together, and are treated to a fun rhyming tale. The beautiful oil paintings by artist Ned Bittinger, done in the "alla prima" style - this method requires the artist to finish his work in one sitting, before the paint dries - are full of light and motion, beautifully capturing the life of the family in the story. I particularly liked the antics of the family dog, who is always underfoot as the night progresses. Recommended to young readers looking for lighthearted, contemporary books set at Passover. show less

A sweet portrait of parental love, notable for its depiction of a two-mom family.

The text neither names nor defines the family relationships in this picture book, so Alizadeh’s art takes the lead in depicting two women and their baby. One mother appears white, with light skin and short-cropped brown hair, while the other has long, dark, wavy hair and a slightly darker skin tone. Their child has coloring more like that of the latter mother and is clearly abundantly loved by both parents. show more The illustrations depict the family riding their bicycles to a farm and a zoo before heading home for dinner, a bath, and bedtime. The loose linework, gentle palette, and soft visual texture of the art is a perfect match for the lilting, easy cadence of the affirming text: “There’s a buzz for each bug, / and a breeze for each tree, / and plenty of hugs for you and me.” The speaker and addressee of this line and others are never defined, which underscores the clarity of Alizadeh’s intention in depicting this particular queer family constellation. “You” could have been depicted as one person, after all, but this line is accompanied by a group hug shared by the child and two moms.

Plenty of need for this warm hug of a book. show less

More than skin deep, this rhyming paean to diversity offers readers an array of families of all colors and orientations, living and loving one another in a vibrant city setting.

A giggling baby is tummy-tickled by her white and black mothers (or white mother and black father—impressively, the illustration leaves room for interpretation) in New York’s Central Park in its summertime glory. "This is how we all begin: / small and happy in our skin." This celebration of skin not only extols show more the beauty and value of various skin colors, but also teaches the importance of skin as an essential body part: “It keeps the outsides out / and your insides in.” Park, public-pool, and block-party scenes allow readers to luxuriate in a teeming city where children of all colors, abilities, and religions enjoy their families and neighbors. The author and illustrator do not simply take a rote, tokenistic approach to answering the cry for diverse books; the words and pictures depict a much-needed, realistic representation of the statement “it takes a village to raise a child” when a child skins her knee and many rush to her aid and comfort. Though her palette of browns is a little limited, Tobia creates sheer joy with her depictions of everything from unibrows, dimples, and birthmarks to callouts to recognizable literary characters.

The combination of lovingly humorous and detailed mixed-media illustrations and infectious rhymes will cause little ones and their families to pore over this book again and again. (Picture book. 2-5)

-Kirkus Review show less

"Life is comfy, you will find, / when you have your own behind. / Sitting down would NOT be cushy / if you didn't have your tushy! / When you're born, your tushy's there, / ready to go anywhere." And so begins this adorable picture-book exploration of the tushy, aimed at younger children. With all kinds of behinds - child and adult, animal and toy - on display, the rhyming text celebrates the many wonderful things we can do, from sledding to sitting on laps, with our tushy.

This fun little show more book, with its rollicking rhymes that just beg to be read aloud, and its winsome pencil and ink illustrations, would make an excellent story-hour selection for younger children. These sorts of humorous body-awareness books - think Everyone Poops, The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts, or The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit - always seem to be a hit with young readers, who appreciate the honest exploration of themes that sometimes embarrass adults. For my part, I enjoyed this one enough that I will be tracking down the author's companion volume, The Belly Book. show less