“Rise: A Feminist Book Project” 2022 Book List Selection
“Adults wanting to introduce younger audiences to concepts of consent and boundaries will find this a useful place to start.”
“Valentine shares the importance of establishing and communicating physical boundaries in this picture book following Daisy, a yellow chick whose fluffiness is all anyone notices about her.”
“A winning combination of words and pictures for beginning readers and listeners.”
“highly giggleworthy”
“Who knew inanimate friends could be so rewarding?”
“Valentine’s delightful llustrations move from bubbly daylight scenes to a scribbly nighttime world of menacing toys”
“lovely package of a picture book about siblings and sharing, birthdays and toys.”
“Coziness is the name of the game in the pencil and watercolor illustrations, with lots of feathery snow, fuzzy knits, and soft and friendly faces...this will entice the uncertain out onto the ice (or into the warming hut) and give viewers in warmer climes happily frosty daydreams.”
“The story’s implicit messages—that it should be unremarkable when boys play with dolls; that parents can become superheroic to do right by their children—ring loud, true, and (in a book full of comical flourishes, particularly in the mixed-media illustrations) funny...in terms of presenting gender nonconformity as perfectly normal, it’s ahead of the curve”
“Simple, sophisticated language...suggests a respectful alliance between mother and son, and is perfectly complemented by charming, gouache-and-pencil illustrations that capture the characters’ emotions as the story unfolds.”
“Everyone in this book is defying gender norms.”
“ Valentine’s gouache and pencil drawings blend action and comedy ”
“Valentine’s cleverly composed cartooning slyly portrays how a skewed domestic dynamic rights itself.... From start to finish, it’s an irresistible story for the target audience”
“Striking a balance between lively and atmospheric, Valentine’s illustrations lend a depth to the lighthearted story of cosseted Henry’s insistence on independence”
“Valentine’s witty watercolors and gouache present a kind of anthology of the current vogue for extreme parenting, adding fantastic details to the already humorous story”
Check out the entire NYTIMES BOOK REVIEW!