Starred review from January 15, 2024
Uplifting messages of positivity from the Today show anchor. Hope springs eternal, so the saying goes. Kotb agrees, here delivering to children the cheery news that hope lives inside all of them and that whatever they might wish for can be theirs. All they need is a sunny outlook, and the possibilities for happy outcomes are virtually endless. Children's dreams can be in-the-moment ones--like purple ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry--or more far-ranging ones, such as growing tall enough to reach that high shelf easily or for hair that's long enough to braid. It doesn't matter, the author reassures young readers. Your aspirations will be realized, so don't give up on them--just keep believing in them and, most of all, in yourself. Throughout, Kotb calls hope a rainbow, a feeling, a gift, and a wish. Hope is "new friends you'll find-- / friends who are loving and funny and kind." Hope is "practicing your heart out, letter by letter." The book's overarching theme is upbeat, but its bouncy rhyming text is clumsy. The child-appealing illustrations are colorful and lively, though they have a generic look. The cast of wide-eyed characters is racially diverse; some have visible disabilities. Pleasant enough but not particularly original. (Picture book. 4-7)
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October 18, 2024
K-Gr 2-The Today Show anchor shares her trademark sunny outlook in testament to the power of hope. Divided into sections called "Hope is a Feeling," "Hope is a Gift," "Hope is Rainbow," and "Hope is a Wish," the text celebrates dreams and aspirations big and small, from wishing for long hair to braid to "Hope is a promise./ In dark there is light, / billions of stars that shine in the night." Bright, richly hued illustrations depict a diverse group of cartoonlike, big-eyed children dreaming, playing, splashing in puddles, and cuddling. The sometimes obvious rhymes-"Always and forever, my wish for you/ with hope in your heart, your dreams will come true!"-cover no new ground, but comprise an entry for those looking for positive, empowering messages. VERDICT Inspired by daughter Hope, Kotb's book is pleasant if predictable.-Rebecca Kirshenbaum
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