Hooray for Kids!

by Suzanne Lang, Max Lang (Illustrator)

Every kid is a one-of-a-kind kid!

Suzanne and Max Lang ( Families, Families, Families! ) bring us another joyful ode to diversity in this zippy rhyming celebration of kids of all stripes. Whether you’re a play-a-lot-of-ball kid, a hang-out-at-the-mall kid, a bake-delicious-pie kid, or an always-asking-why kid . . . when you read this book, you’ll be a laughing-till-you-cry kid! Children can find themselves in the hilarious menagerie and recognize their friends and classmates. The subtle anti-bullying message will make this a welcome addition to classroom libraries.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Animals, Friendship, Fiction, Humor

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with colorful images that seem to have been digitally created, this picture book reminds readers that children don't come in standard sizes or with the same interests or abilities. After all, some of them are swift, and others prefer to hang out on the sidelines. Using rhyming text that is fun to say or read aloud while celebrating diversity makes this book a winner as does its message of empowerment: "Kid, Kid, Hooray!" (unpaged). YES! Why not celebrate the many different ways we are instead of trying to be just like someone else? I like that positive example and the fact that no one is teased here because of being different from someone else. Instead, the authors encourage readers to celebrate what makes each of us unique. Ideal for sharing with youngsters as a gentle reminder for how to treat others and to embrace differences rather than trying to fit everyone in the same size box.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Great way for kids to learn about how everyone is different or unique in some way! Great lesson for kids!!highly recommended!!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

celebrates kids' differences.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the colorful cover with animals posing on a playset through collage illustrations of a crab on the beach (“some kids do the crawl”) or a bear eating a fish (“some kids love to eat”) to a bug leaping over a log (“some kids jump real high”), this picture book celebrates individuality. Its repetitive phrase (… “whether you are a [fill in the blank])” combines with trip-over-the-tongue rhymes (“always-asking-why kid,” “an-upside-down-frown kid,” “a wake-up-nice-and early kid”. . . ) to make this an ideal read-aloud book. Realistic descriptions accompany humorous pictures of animals. This book ends with this proclamation: “To all kids we say, each one of you is special. KID, KID, HOORAY!” Mixed-media art with colorful cartoon-like animal characters on photographed backgrounds contributes to the spirit of jubilation. Themes of identity, individuality, acceptance, and diversity create wonderful opportunities for discussion in home and school settings.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 4 out of 5]

If an adult (and an author, and an English Major in college) can't make much sense of this picture book, hmmm. I wonder how anybody but the publisher etc. could claim that this book is a "joyful ode to diversity."

To me it reads more like a random collection of ideas, all chosen to appeal to children at their lowest common denominator: Lacking meaning or subtlety, such as we can find in so-much-better picture books.

INCIDENTALLY

Unlike the blurb writer here on Goodreads, I experienced no "laughing-till-you-cry" -- which the shameless promoter here blithely proclaimed that we readers would experience. Never cracked a smile, actually. Mostly I suppose I looked puzzled.

Note that I'm still giving this book FOUR STARS, because some readers may find that this book helps them to meet their minimum daily requirement for crudeness.

[Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pictures in this book were interesting because they were a mix of real pictures and cartoon animals. I liked how the story is about being different and special and how the pictures were full of details that supported the text.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the quirky illustrations and message.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming illustration and nice celebration on how all kids are different. (Could have done without the nose picking page, it's the only page some of my kids care about... 🙄)

[Hannah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book celebrating the differences and similarities we share with one another. Some of the ideas were pretty silly. A Herman convention? Really? The illustrations are hilarious and super unique - hand-drawn and painted animals interacting in a photographed environment.

[Natalie {I'd So Rather Be Reading} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review HERE
I was really excited to read Hooray for Kids! to the boys because they are total one-of-a-kind-kids! For example, #hurricane is very bright and asks about 74,529 questions each day and can be identified as an asks-a-lot-of-questions-kid in the book. He thought it was pretty cool that the book identified a kid like him and then asked "mom, there are other kids like me?!" with a sly grin. My reply:

Yes wild man, there are other moms out there that fight the good fight. Every.Day.All.Day.
Yes there are other handsome little devils out there just like you.
{Just} yes. Yes there are. Next question...

It was entertaining to read through the ryhming-text and listen to my boys trying to decide who they knew that was that kind of kid being described. The unique colorforms mixed with photographs was immediate eye candy for both myself and the boys (especially the monkey kids-- super #GROSS but super funny & TRUE). It's nice when the illustrations are enjoyable for both the parent and the child and Lang hit the mark.

Overall, this is one of the coolest young reader's I've gotten in a while! With Scholastic's partnership with We Need Diverse Books, this is one that could easily be added to that list.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

After their book celebrating the diversity of families through animal characters Families, Families, Families, the Langs are back to celebrate the differences and similarities of individuals (again using animal characters.) With many differences described within school settings, it would be good addition to a collection to remind young students we are all different and good at different things. The illustrations have a modern feel with animated like cartoon animals cut out and placed in real settings. Using a rhyme verse and interweaving a few humorous sidetrips to set it apart from similar books. It would be a good book to use in teaching this valuable lesson at the beginning of a school year.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes a look at kids of all kinds and shows how cool differences really are. Done in a mix of media and featuring all sorts of creatures, this book is perfect for a talk about how uniqueness is what makes each one of us special, and how learning to appreciate that is what is important. This was a story time book and the kids liked it a lot.

[Carol V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too funny! Kids of all ages (1 to 101) should enjoy this book! It's hilarious, imaginative, creative, and kind...all rolled into one book about kids! Hooray for Kids is a great way to says everyone is important and special! Stop bullying - is a strong message shared here. What a cool way to illustrate a book by layering cutout "kid" clipart into real photographs!

[Nanci Booher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for access to this story. Told in rhyming text, this looks-like-colorforms-on-a-photograph picture book celebrates diversity. Fun to read and look at a great addition to any library.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this more than I thought I would.
The rhymes are great and I like the message (although it gets didactic at the end, there). The illustrations are... interesting. Again, I liked them more than I thought I would.
But still just 3 stars.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

An energetic ode to diversity.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the flow of this book reading aloud. Some of it was a tad gross, however, true when it comes to kids. I appreciate the strong view on diversity. I'd definitely add it to my collection.

[Lenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet book and I love how they did the illustrations. Painted or colored background then looked like the animal kids were cut out of a magazine or something. Very clever!

[Danielle]

A wonderful sentiment here: all kids are to be hooray-ed for!

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

My coworker just had me read this book and it was a good one! It's simple but has a good message and is surprisingly funny.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are fun mixed media illustrations in this story about being yourself.

[Margaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celebrates all kinds of kids. Again with the photography and illustration, I just am a huge fan.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the concept, but I am not crazy about the illustrations.