Empathy and kindness are just as important as ABCs and 123s, and Amanda gives readers a good lesson.
Amanda Panda starts off an unlikable kindergartner, but school (and exposure to other kids) teaches her how to be a friend, and that might be the most important lesson of all.
Amanda Panda (not the Amanda Panda of Sarah Dillard’s First Day at Zoo School) knows who she is, what she likes, and what she’s good at, and she has big plans for kindergarten. Those plans don’t include the girl panda in head-to-toe pink at the bus stop, though Bitsy does her best to be Amanda’s friend. While Amanda knows that she should return Bitsy’s compliment, she doesn’t. And when Bitsy sits at the table next to Amanda, “It is the end of the world.” Indeed, the day is rough, and Amanda can’t do anything quite right. So, at the end of a disastrous recess, she stealthily joins her older brother’s second-grade line and quits kindergarten. But the chairs are too big, and she can’t read the words. Just then a lost and afraid Bitsy appears to find her new friend. Amanda’s empathy finally manifests, and she leads Bitsy by the hand to kindergarten, where suddenly everything seems brighter and Bitsy is a friend. Amanda’s transformation is a bit sudden and extreme, and instead of combining their interests, Grove shows Amanda playing with Bitsy’s toys. Still, Grove’s watercolors masterfully portray Amanda’s every emotion, even the nasty ones.
Empathy and kindness are just as important as ABCs and 123s, and Amanda gives readers a good lesson. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55455-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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