ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
PRESCHOOL
Pinkney, Brian

Time for Kenny

40 pp. | Greenwillow | January, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-073528-9 $17.99
(1) PS Four brief stories take us through young Kenny's day as he gets dressed, has an encounter with a monster-like vacuum cleaner, learns "no hands!" soccer skills, and resists bedtime. Pinkney's text is both spare and engagingly lively--and the clean font and page design and use of repetition make this an excellent choice for both emerging readers and preschoolers (think Watanabe's How Do I Put It On?). Each chapter is introduced by a page of full color containing a brief introductory sentence or two ("Kenny doesn't like the vacuum cleaner. It sleeps in the closet"; "Kenny's bedtime is in five minutes. But Kenny is not tired"), nicely delineating the four sections. The situations are all ones to which young readers will relate--and they will cheer as Kenny emerges victorious each time ("Is Kenny dressed? Yes!"). The illustrations--in Pinkney's signature swirly art, full of movement and energy--capture Kenny's personality and emotions. They also portray, understatedly but definitely, the warmth of this family's relationships: he and Daddy laugh together in a post-vacuum-cleaner tickling session; his sister high-fives him after his soccer lesson; his mother reads him a book at bedtime. Pinkney keeps a tight focus on Kenny, his family, and a few signature objects (particularly his yellow toy school bus and beloved stuffed animal Kitty), helping viewers to likewise focus as they spend the day with this delightful Black boy.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

RELATED 

PRESCHOOL

The Farmer and the Circus
by Frazee, Marla
PRESCHOOL

Bird House
by Gómez, Blanca
PRESCHOOL

The Crow and the Peacock
by Fernihough, Jo
PRESCHOOL

Something's Wrong!
by John, Jory
PRESCHOOL

Grandpa Across the Ocean
by Yum, Hyewon
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?