Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A light-skinned child with long, wavy black hair navigates the contrary moods of their younger sibling in this tender picture book debut by Krossing. As the older awakens the younger, the latter immediately disagrees with every suggestion: they want to stay in, not play outside; instead of coloring with yellow, pink, or red crayons, the younger prefers gray; at the proposition of baking a sweet cake, the younger complains, "I feel sour." At each turn, the older sibling meets their sibling's objections with patience and compassion. When asked what they do want, the younger confesses, "I want fog to crash down on big monster feet" and, after that, "I want to disappear." But the older sibling offers a kind response worth celebrating: "Can I disappear with you?" Kwan's soft-toned, fluid illustrations fill each spread, encapsulating the siblings' shifting emotions. This sensitive narrative shows the significance of empathy in meeting people where they're at. Ages 3--7. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--When younger sister wakes up in a contrary mood, her enthusiastic older sister suggests fun and uplifting activities to cajole her out of it; it's only when the sullen mood explodes into anger that older sister changes course, commiserates with her sibling, and changes her mood. Told through their ongoing dialogue and shown in various sizes of type for emphasis, the two girls, with black eyes and black hair, cycle through several misfires until the older one hits on the correct approach: to join her sibling in the bad mood. Together, they dance away the gray fog that has enveloped them on big monster feet. Kwan's colorful illustrations often sweep across spreads to express the mood, effectively build tension, and emphasize the size and importance of the younger child's emotions. VERDICT By accepting big, negative emotions without condemning them or dismissing them, this book is great for launching discussions about when and how to express moods and feelings.--MaryAnn Karre, Binghamton, NY
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Misery loves compassionate company. A child with olive skin and wavy black pigtails races to wake a younger sibling with a declaration to "play outside!" However, the younger child retorts, "Why out? Today I like in." The older sibling acquiesces to indoor play and suggests singing a song quietly. This prompts the out-of-sorts younger sibling to sing loudly. The precedent is set, with the older sibling indulging in the younger's requests only to have seemingly accommodating suggestions--to color a picture or to bake treats--met with a contrarian reply. The energetic figures are set against a simple background and occasional broad strokes of bold colors that play with perspective. Things come to a head when the younger declares that they feel like throwing rocks and kicking leaves and that they want "the sun to turn off," eventually admitting they want "to disappear" as Kwan envelops the child in billowing clouds of gray. Gently the older sibling offers to "disappear with" the younger, offering to "bring a song to yell" and to make "a cake that's sour" (with the option to make a cake that is sweet). Touched, the younger confidently asks to dance, stomp, and jump "Till the fog fades away." The spare, dialogue-only text is just enough to model for young readers what compassion and empathy look like when acknowledging the feelings of others. Empathetically acknowledges children's big feelings and engagingly models emotional health. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
