Drag queens may throw some shade at Ogilvy’s wardrobe, but that’s this book’s only flaw.
Clothes do not make the bunny.
When Ogilvy, a bunny of unknown gender, moves to a new town, they are initially excited to play with other bunnies in their neighborhood. But Ogilvy finds themselves the center of unwanted attention because of their attire: a long, knit turtleneck. The local rules are soon broken down: Bunnies in dresses can knit and play baseball, and bunnies in sweaters can create art and go rock climbing. No crossovers allowed. But what is Ogilvy wearing? Is it a dress or a sweater? Ogilvy decides daily it’s one or the other depending on their mood, until run-ins with the unofficial fashion police finally come to a head. In that moment, Ogilvy finds their voice and convinces the town that it’s OK to break the mold and try new things. It’s a strong message told subtly. The book is multifaceted, making it relevant to everyone, but it will particularly resonate with gender-nonconforming kids, transgender kids, nonbinary kids, and kids who are exploring gender fluidity. It does a lot of heavy lifting. Underwood’s rhyming text flows smoothly and adeptly functions without third-person pronouns, making Ogilvy’s particular gender identity a non-issue. McBeth’s illustrations digitally collage knitwear onto cartoon bunnies and match the mood nicely, but it is odd that Ogilvy’s clothes are a duller palette than the other bunnies’.
Drag queens may throw some shade at Ogilvy’s wardrobe, but that’s this book’s only flaw. (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: May 21, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-15176-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
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
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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