February 28, 2022
One-third of the Jonas Brothers teams up with his wife in this authorial picture book debut. Emma is the star of her family’s dance parties—“She loves the BOOM BOOM BOOM of a good bass beat.” Thanks to daily lessons from her father, she’s a budding guitarist as well, excited to make her debut at the school talent show. A case of the jitters, a misplaced lucky charm, and a disastrous rehearsal leave Emma doubting herself, but with an infusion of dance party vibes from the white-presenting family, she overcomes performance fears and rocks out. If the text models problem-solving, instead of empathy, regarding the child’s very real anxiety, the cheery, conversational text is matched by Dawson’s sunny-hued, animation-style art, which centers schoolmates of varying skin tones. It’s the picture book equivalent of a pop-rock bop. Ages 4–8.
March 1, 2022
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)
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