Floppy Lop-Ears Tries to Get "Off the Spectrum"

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Floppy Lop-Ears Tries to Get "Off the Spectrum"

Name: Floppy Lop-Ears Tries to Get "Off the Spectrum"
Author: Rochelle Caruso Flynn
ISBN: 978-1496903846

by Rochelle Caruso Flynn ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2014

An important, accessible take on understanding autism spectrum disorder.

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In this debut children’s book, a young bunny and his parents deal with his diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

Floppy Lop-Ears is just an average young bunny—every day, he puts on his favorite outfit and eats Hunny Bunny cereal before school. He likes all of his school subjects and he eats green gelatin every day at lunch. But when his Hunny Bunny cereal, favorite outfit and green gelatin aren’t available, Floppy feels his tummy harden, and he starts to get upset and throw fits—for which he is frequently teased at school. When Floppy’s parents take him to a special doctor, they learn he has autism spectrum disorder. The doctor explains to Floppy and his parents that Floppy’s brain just works a little differently than others and that it’s just fine to be different. But Floppy doesn’t want to stand out from the kids in his class, so he tries to find ways to get “off the spectrum.” Through conversations with his parents and his classmates, Floppy learns that his atypical characteristics make him unique. Flynn’s exceptional viewpoint as both doctor (she is a board-certified pediatrician) and patient (she was diagnosed with ASD) makes this book even more important. Instead of talking at the child or parent reader, Flynn speaks from a place of deep knowledge and experience. She recognizes that there are many parts to ASD, and while some aspects may be perceived to be negative, Flynn notes, through Floppy’s doctor, some positive qualities: Children and adults with ASD are “good at noticing little details” and memorizing information. This work shows children that it’s OK to be nervous or afraid about their diagnoses—their parents and doctors will be there every step of the way. And for parents, Flynn goes so far as to include a description of her own experiences with ASD. She provides notes on suggestions and ways to talk about ASD, along with resources. It’s also worth mentioning that illustrator Allen’s sharply drawn images are a bright, fun addition to a work with rather serious subject matter. For recently diagnosed children, along with their friends and parents, this book is a great resource.

An important, accessible take on understanding autism spectrum disorder.

Pub Date: April 24, 2014

ISBN: 978-1496903846

Page Count: 78

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2014

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S SPRINGTIME

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.

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Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.

This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)