Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"The year's at the spring,/ and day's at the morn." Adding new lines to Robert Browning's "Pippa's Song," Adams (A Book, Too, Can Be a Star) creates a portrait of ordinary life in which "All's right with the world." Via crisp spreads that foreground a diverse city community, Neal (If You Live Here) introduces a child portrayed with light brown skin, showing their morning in progress. After an adult helps the child into a striped shirt and offers a hug over breakfast ("Waffles with berries,/ umbrella, red tulips"), a Black-cued friend who lives in an adjacent brownstone joins them, the children waiting with their caregivers for the crossing guard ("We set out for school./ All's right with the world"). Later, following an afternoon of play, the neighbors eat together on the rooftop--"We hold hands in thanks./ All's right with the world"--before the families are seen engaging in bedtime routines. Throughout, images that show feelings of contentment, gestures of affection, and glimpses of bird and insect life establish a sense of security and abundance, while lines interleave contemporary pleasures into the old poem. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Loosely based on a poem by Robert Browning, this book adds in new details familiar to children. "Waffles with berries, umbrellas, red tulips. We set out for school. All's right with the world." A young Black girl and a young boy with lighter brown skin each wake up in their apartment buildings next door to each other in the same city and get ready for the day. They meet up right in front of the school and hold hands as they enter. While at school, the two share adventures, discovering the outdoor creatures that roam about, playing together on the playground, and all's right with the world. At the end of the school day, they walk together with their mothers back home. The day isn't done; the two families prepare and then share a meal together on the roof of one of the buildings. Short sentences are placed on full-color illustrations done in mixed media. Snug details abound; the world is safe; the mood is optimistic, deliberately so. Readers will love trying to spot the red bird that adorns every page, often seen flying or perched near the humans. VERDICT A reassuring lark, meant to soothe, and all's right with this book. A first purchase for libraries.--Tracy Cronce
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A slice-of-life tale, from dawn to dusk. Drawing inspiration from Robert Browning's "Pippa's Song" (the poem is included toward the end of the book), Adams follows a pair of brown-skinned children--neighbors on the same city block--as they greet the day, head to school, walk home, have dinner together, and prepare for bed. Both the soothingly written verse and the vibrant mixed-media illustrations, done in Silas Neal's signature style, bring this bustling, beautiful neighborhood to life and demonstrate that even in an urban setting, there are ways to appreciate nature--the kids gaze at a snail on one spread; another page depicts a child's drawing of flowers on a fridge. The work also quietly reminds readers of the joys of everyday routines. Cats and birds are a recurring thread throughout--perched or soaring above the unnamed protagonists or lounging in the background. Those seeking additional tributes to city life should pair this one with Matt de la Peña's Milo Imagines the World (2021), illustrated by Christian Robinson, and Jacqueline Woodson's The World Belonged to Us (2022), illustrated by Leo Espinosa. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A charmer that captures the exuberance of finding happiness in the little things. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
