Time for Kenny

Pinkney (Nya’s Long Walk) creates a simple, endearing account of a day in the life of a preschooler. Painted in the artist’s characteristically loose, rounded line, brown-skinned Kenny is first seen playing thoughtfully with a large toy bus. “It is time for Kenny to get dressed for the day,” the narrator announces. Can Kenny wear his father’s shirt? Can he wear his mother’s shoes? No, but his parents gaze at him with affection as he tries them on, and his family admires him once he’s properly dressed. After seeing Grandaddy off on the bus, Kenny considers the family’s big green vacuum cleaner as it eats his chips and cereal off the rug. “Could it eat Kitty? Could it eat Kenny?” It can’t, of course, and his father’s tickles balance a tense moment of fright. Pinkney excels at seeing the world from a small person’s point of view, portraying the distinctive ways that Kenny interacts with different family members, including, in another scene, his sister. Small, everyday events contain plenty of humor and action, conveying throughout the sense that Kenny is cherished and his concerns are honored. Ages 4–up. [em](Jan.) [/em]