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314 pp.
| Roaring Brook/First Second
| March, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-250-19693-4$24.99
|
PaperISBN 978-1-59643-709-8$17.99
(3)
YA
Illustrated by
Ellen T. Crenshaw.
High-school junior Amanda finds her own realizations regarding her sexuality reflected and amplified in a troubling family secret she discovers involving her father’s transgender parent. This well-executed graphic novel plumbs the complexity of family relationships and changing friendship dynamics as its protagonist explores sexual and gender identity. The imperfect, complicated characters--all with their own motivations--are compellingly illustrated in grayscale panels.
127 pp.
| Candlewick
| March, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-9163-9$14.99
(3)
1-3
Illustrated by
Peter H. Reynolds.
Stink heads to Shakespeare Camp over spring break (the only boy attending, it turns out). Stink's in it for the Shakespearean insults and swordplay, but he learns that there is also kissing in Shakespeare's plays. Stink won't have to kiss his "sometimes friend, most times enemy" Riley Rottenberger, will he?! Reynolds's illustrations capture all the theatrics in this spirited chapter-book introduction to Shakespeare.
40 pp.
| Dial
| March, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-525-42832-9$16.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Tao Nyeu.
"'Sun's going down.' 'Moon's on the rise.' / 'Let's find our babies.' 'And sing lullabies.'" Four mothers--panda, leopard, elephant, and orangutan--take turns speaking in pleasing rhyming verse as they try to persuade their mischievous children it's bedtime. Mixed-media illustrations in shades of blue and orange reveal the children's comical efforts to avoid capture until they're finally corralled, cuddled, and put to bed.
(4)
4-6
Spellbound: Head over Heels series.
Illustrated by
Mina Price.
Four short books follow high-school drummer Lola (depicted in the full-color illustrations as African American) as she experiences the titular firsts. Each story is divided into four chapters; the simple, first-person text is printed in a large font, with important words emphasized using playful fonts. Too squeaky-clean for high schoolers, perhaps this hi-lo series will find an audience among struggling preteen readers looking for light romance. Review covers these Spellbound: Head over Heels titles: First Dance, First Date, First Fight, and First Kiss.
(4)
PS
Monica ponders the pros and cons of using various colors to paint a picture of a kiss; her ideas may well inspire readers to think about colors, too. When she finally asks her mother's opinion, Mommy gives her a kiss, and Bonilla's competent illustrations provide a kinda-answer to the saccharine titular question: a wordless two-page spread shows hearts in many colors and patterns.
298 pp.
| Simon Pulse
| May, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4814-5246-5$17.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-4814-5248-9
(4)
YA
To get over being dumped, high school grad Veda decides to kiss twenty-six guys, each with a name beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. But her attraction to fellow debate nerd Killian makes completing the challenge more difficult. Vee's chemistry with Killian is sometimes flat, but her entertaining and wide-ranging quest for kisses (not all of them romantic) will keep readers engaged.
32 pp.
| Bloomsbury
| October, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-68119-149-2$16.99
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Sarah Massini.
A bear family shows all the ways a kiss can make everything better, whether it's bumps and scrapes, bruised feelings, or scary thunderstorms ("If thunderstorms wake you up with a fright, / a sweet-dreams kiss keeps you safe through the night"). The rhyming text has a pleasant rhythm; the mixed-media illustrations are expressive if saccharine, with hearts representing kisses flooding the pages.
32 pp.
| Feiwel
| December, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-250-06650-3$16.99
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Steven Henry.
"Humpback whales have gigantic mouths to gobble up great gulps of shrimp. / And through all the bubbles, mamas give cuddles and big, wet canoodles to calves." Twelve poetic descriptions, illustrated with tender but sturdy pencil and digitally painted art, each conclude with a question: how would the profiled animal kiss? Both rhyme scheme and rhythm are erratic, marring the elucidating text. Animal facts appended.
32 pp.
| Scholastic/Orchard
| June, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-63652-0$17.99
(4)
PS
Hopper, a frog, doesn't click with the other pond dwellers. After a turtle suggests that he's really a prince, Hopper heads off in pursuit of a princess to kiss. He meets a dog who's no princess, but it turns out that friendship outranks royalty. This sweetly amusing spin on the classic tale features illustrations less artful than the story.
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Kevin Cornell.
After seeing people hugging and kissing on the beach, shark Charlie wants a hug himself, and his good friend, octopus Olivia, wants a kiss. They try various goofy schemes to get their hug and kiss from beach-goers, but nothing works. As the title suggests, they finally realize they can hug and kiss each other. Cartoon-style illustrations emphasize the silliness of this lightweight tale.
237 pp.
| Houghton
| January, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-82410-9$15.99
(3)
YA
Gabriela will be collected by her Death, Hercule, next Wednesday. For her pre-departure Wrap-Up List, she scrambles to arrange first kisses for her friends (and herself) while trying to find Hercule's one weakness to get herself a Pardon; the truth about her grandfather's WWII death ultimately holds the key. This darkly humorous, creative supernatural tale also has interesting spiritual undertones.
32 pp.
| Feiwel
| December, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-312-37647-5$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Maria van Lieshout.
In this endearing meditation, an omniscient narrator ponders the nature of kisses, both poetically ("Some are velvet / as peach fuzz") and philosophically ("Once a kiss is given...it can never be taken away"). Unassuming flowers representing smooches float through scenes--a beach, a city street, a rained-upon baseball game--in which van Lieshout makes fine use of silhouette.
32 pp.
| ABDO/Spotlight
| January, 2013
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-61479-068-6$16.95
(4)
4-6
Amelia Rules! series.
Four briskly moving graphic novels follow nine-year-old Amelia and her life with her divorced mom, former-rock-star aunt, and friends. In Heroes, Amelia learns about frenemies; Kisses features a tame spin-the-bottle game; Fireflies presents the threat of moving from the neighborhood; and Graceland humorously considers the changes a move might bring. The illustrations lack subtlety, but these are comical views of tween-age dramas. Review covers these Amelia Rules! titles: Amelia in Fireflies and Time, Amelia and Her Three Kisses, Amelia in Heroes and Villains, and Amelia in Into Graceland.
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| August, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-6104-5$15.99
(2)
PS
Newly hatched Dinah the dinosaur decides to give kissing a try. She doesn't know her own strength, though, and her puppyish attempts at affection miss their marks. Dinah finally meets her match when one of her nest-mates hatches. Stein's engaging illustrations work hand in hand with his simple, energetic text. Friendly Dinah takes center stage.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2013
312 pp.
| Amazon
| October, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7614-6316-0$16.99
(3)
YA
Previously inexperienced Emerson discovers she has the ability to tap into the thoughts and memories of anyone she kisses. While kissing her way through the geek squad for test answers to raise her faltering grades, she falls for sweet, nerdy Edwin and worries about the morality of her choices. The large cast of characters is well developed, and Emerson and her situation have surprising depth.
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| December, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-6182-3$12.99
(3)
PS
This winsome book uses clever design, childlike art, and playful rhyming language to describe animal kisses. For example, two fish, one large and one small, smile at each other alongside the words "A fish kiss is fizzy and bubbly..." Readers turn a partial page that dovetails with the previous drawing to show the two sharing a kiss--"like this!"
32 pp.
| HarperCollins/Harper
| January, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-198675-8$14.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Peter H. Reynolds.
Little Miss plants a kiss, tends to it properly, then waits: "Doubt. / Pout. / Sprout! / SHOUT! SHOUT!" The single kiss blooms as pink and yellow sparkles that she spreads and shares with a diverse cast of other children; it turns out to be "endless bliss." The simple rhyming text is delightfully spare--as are Reynolds's miniscule, glitter-embellished pictures.
32 pp.
| Little
| January, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-316-12235-1$16.99
(2)
PS
This animal sounds concept book opens with a panoramic view of a farm. The text, accompanied by bucolic close-up watercolors, describes the type of kisses each animal loves ("Little Calf loves Mooo kisses"). Closer observation of the illustrations reveals additional narrative: Farmer's in the background doing chores, Bluebird's catching insects, etc. Skillful shifts in visual perspective provide a three-hundred-sixty-degree vista of the bustling farm.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2012
32 pp.
| Fitzhenry
| February, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-1-55455-161-3$18.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Brooke Kerrigan.
A frog, hoping to be restored as a prince, asks Ella for a kiss; he even offers her princesshood in return. She doesn't comply, though, because she prefers a talking frog--and her freedom to play--to a life of royalty. The text provides enough twists to satisfy fairy-tale fans, while the illustrations of freckle-faced, jeans-wearing Ella will draw them in.
32 pp.
| Scholastic/Orchard
| December, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-11284-0$16.99
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Henry Cole.
Little Bear is worried because Mama Bear has to spend some time away from him. The two bears exchange boxes full of imaginary kisses as a reminder of how much they love each other. The ending may be a bit drawn-out, but the warm sentiments and clever resolution are reassuring. Expressive illustrations show the bears going about their daily activities.