(++++) IMAGINATION CELEBRATION

There’s a Beach in My Bedroom. By Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas. Illustrated by Courtney Dawson. Razorbill. $18.99.

There’s a Rock Concert in My Bedroom. By Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas. Illustrated by Courtney Dawson. Razorbill. $17.99.

     The transformative power of imaginary play, especially when the entire family joins in, is the heart and soul of these two pleasant little forays into in-house activities – created by the husband-and-wife team of pop singer Kevin Jonas and actress Danielle Jonas. Intended for ages 4-8 and designed to make the Jonas home life seem just like that of everyday readers and their families – a pleasant, if dubious, notion – these books can have real value by showing kids how to cope with small but real disappointments and turn a down day into an enjoyable one.

     There’s a Beach in My Bedroom quickly establishes that Bella, the younger of the two girls in the book version of the Jonas family, loves the beach and can’t wait for a planned family beach day that will let her splash in the water, build sandcastles, eat beach snacks, and collect shells with her mom. Unfortunately, this particular planned beach day is about to be spoiled by the weather: it is raining. Bella complains that this is not fair, and her mom admits that sometimes things aren’t, but beach day is still off. Family suggestions of alternatives – a board game, some music, reading time – fall flat, and Bella retreats sadly to her room, only to be surprised when Mom and Dad and sister Emma show up at her door and announce that “we’re bringing the beach to you.” Bella knows this won’t be the same as a real beach day, “but her family wants to make her happy,” so she goes along with the plan – not expecting much. Luckily, Bella has a big room with plenty of space to set up all sorts of beach stuff: a sun-like spotlight in one corner, a fan to take the place of the ocean breeze, a phone app with wave sounds, and a giant beach umbrella that Bella opens herself, getting into the spirit of the plan. Throwing a big blue blanket onto the floor to seem like water, using pillows as stand-ins for rocks on which to climb, and grabbing building blocks to build a not-really-a-sandcastle, the family inspires Bella to exclaim that her room “really looks like a beach,” and everyone  plays and relaxes and eats snacks and has a good time. Even shell collecting gets a satisfactory substitute when Mom spreads the “glass beads from her jewelry-making kit” around the room for Bella to collect. Courtney Dawson’s illustrations are particularly good at that point, with one page showing Bella still a bit disappointed at the lack of real shells – and the facing page showing her with eyes closed, surrounded by water and actual shells, clearly in her imagination. The Jonases overstate things a bit when Bella ends up exclaiming that “bedroom beach day” is even better than the real thing – it is hard to imagine a beach-loving little girl really feeling that way – but the underlying idea of making lemonade when life gives you lemons (or making pretend shells when weather gets the real ones all wet and makes them inaccessible) is nicely presented. Not all families are as tight-knit or have as much space and as many substitute beach items as the one in this book, of course, but the basic notion of finding something positive to counter a negative experience is a good one. One thing that is less than clear here, however, is why the three female characters have big, bright, expressive eyes, while the father’s eyes are just two black dots. Hmmmm…

     The art (eyes included) is just the same in There’s a Rock Concert in My Bedroom, as is the family dynamic, as is the notion of transforming a familiar space into something special. But the purpose of this book is a bit different from that of the beach-focused one – and not just because here it is Emma, rather than Bella, who needs the transformation. Emma loves music (pop music, obviously, given the provenance of the book), and her dad is teaching her how to play the guitar, so she decides to take part in a school talent show. But then she finds out all the exciting things her classmates are planning for the show – gymnastics, magic tricks and more – and decides that “everyone else is amazing and I’m totally ordinary.” Bella gives her a lucky charm to boost her courage, but Emma misplaces it before rehearsal and becomes so nervous with stage fright that she decides to quit the talent show instead of humiliating herself. Well, the family cannot have that, obviously, especially since, as Bella tells Emma, “you’re the star of our family dance parties.” And so this bedroom transformation begins, complete with stage clothing, pots and pans on which Dad can bang for rhythm, an audience of stuffed animals, and a high stage – the bed – on which Emma can perform. “With her family behind her,” the Jonases write, “she could be a star.” And that, of course, is a big part of the point, here as in the beach book: the family’s wholehearted focus is on the kids, on supporting them and doing whatever is needed to keep them happy and encouraged and being their best selves. Yes, this is a bit of a naïve fantasy, but the positive thinking will be welcome even in families that do not have the resources of the Jonases (in-book or real-world). The final two-page illustration of dressed-up Emma bouncing to the beat as she plays on stage, with her family watching from the far left and shouting support for her, is wonderful – and is exactly what kids who are old enough to read these books themselves will want for themselves in times of adversity (not major adversity from an adult perspective, but still…). Even for younger kids, who may need these books read to them if they are not quite ready to read them on their own, the lessons of family support and of finding ways to turn worries and negative experiences into something positive will be quite clear. It remains only for parents to be sure they can be as thoughtful and supportive in everyday life as the in-book Jonases are – a tall order for many, to be sure, but still a state of affairs to which parents who get these books for their children will hopefully aspire.