This Thomas wannabe is eminently skippable.
Braun introduces another pair of machine pals in his latest, following Toot and Pop (2012) and Digger and Tom (2013).
Chug is a hardworking little engine who uses his two cars and his crane to collect and deliver freight. He may not be fast, but he is careful and dependable. Whoosh is a passenger train who sometimes pokes fun at Chug, calling him a slowpoke. Readers follow Chug on his rounds as he goes “into the forest… / past the lake… / and through the tunnel.” He comes to a stop at a junction, where the signal box tells him there’s danger ahead. While the patient engine waits and waits for the light to turn green, the impetuous Whoosh flies by. When a rock slide and a hole in the bridge trap the larger engine, it’s Chug who comes to the rescue, passing the still-red light to methodically remove the rocks and free Whoosh, who promises to pay better attention. Whoosh thanks Chug for being such a good pal, but since their friendship was not established at the beginning, their bond seems a little shallow—the relationship seems mostly to consist of Whoosh’s harping on Chug’s slowness, both before and after the rescue. Braun’s digital illustrations are bright, bold and clean; they combine with the ever-popular subject of trains to grab readers’ attention, but the story within won’t hold it.
This Thomas wannabe is eminently skippable. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-207754-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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