An inspiring and disquieting testament to the value of education, which costs some a lot more.
Shaka is determined to find a safe way to get to school for all the kids in his Xhosa community.
Shaka and his little sister, Nandi, were lucky that their father could walk them to school every day, but unfortunately, a work opportunity in a mine far away means their dad will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. The danger of going alone is illustrated by shadowy figures hiding beneath a key bridge along their path, but co-author Friedland’s note and an afterword from Julian Lennon, founder of the White Feather Foundation, emphasize serious unspoken threats faced by children, “girls in particular,” throughout the world from India to Uganda. Importantly, Shaka and Nandi’s rural South African village is depicted as brightly communal and as loving as the supportive Mama who assures the brainstorming siblings that they “will find another way.” A toy school bus they find one day offers the inspiration Shaka needs to adopt a privilege some schoolchildren may take for granted into a savvy collective effort to support the uniquely vulnerable but undeniably eager students of the village. Colorful illustrations offer detailed visuals of the planning and execution of the walking school bus, culminating in a heartwarming full-page spread of the brown-skinned, uniform-wearing kids traveling safely and bravely as a cohesive unit toward their school. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An inspiring and disquieting testament to the value of education, which costs some a lot more. (note from Mandela) (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781771644693
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
Totes adorbs.
A cuddly, squishy pug’s puggy-wuggy diary.
Equipped with both #pugunicorn and #pughotdog outfits, pug Baron von Bubbles (aka Bub) is the kind of dog that always dresses to impress. Bub also makes lots of memorable faces, such as the “Hey, you’re not the boss of me!” expression aimed at Duchess, the snooty pink house cat. Some of Bub’s favorite things include skateboarding, a favorite teddy, and eating peanut butter. Bub also loves Bella, who adopted Bub from a fair—it was “love at first sniff.” Together, Bub and Bella do a lot of arts and crafts. Their latest project: entering Bella’s school’s inventor challenge by making a super-duper awesome rocket. But, when the pesky neighborhood squirrel, Nutz, makes off with Bub’s bear, Bub accidentally ruins their project. How will they win the contest? More importantly, how will Bella ever forgive him? May’s cutesy, full-color cartoon art sets the tone for this pug-tastic romp for the new-to–chapter-books crowd. Emojilike faces accentuate Bub’s already expressive character design. Bub’s infectious first-person narration pushes the silly factor off the charts. In addition to creating the look and feel of a diary, the lined paper helps readers follow the eight-chapter story. Most pages have fewer than five sentences, often broken into smaller sections. Additional text appears in color-coded speech bubbles. Bella presents white.
Totes adorbs. (Fiction. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53003-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
A strong, accessible diary story for readers seeking an adorable animal tale.
Bub the anxious pug tackles snow days and new neighbors in his second outing.
Bub, acclaimed by some as “the cutest pug on the planet,” at first shares the enthusiasm owner Bella expresses about snow days even though he doesn’t know what they are. Then Duchess the cat (mildly antagonistic, in typical feline fashion) rains on Bub’s parade by pointing out that snow is water—and Bub’s no fan of rain or baths. After a comedic and disastrous first attempt, Bub learns how to properly dress for snow and enjoy it. The outdoor fun’s cut short by mysterious noises coming from the new neighbor, which frighten Bella into thinking there’s a monster. Bub puts on a Sherlock Holmes get-up to investigate but becomes afraid himself of the new neighbor’s large dog. Finally, Bella meets Jack, who’s been working on a tree fort, and his dog, Luna, who is enthusiastically friendly. The story ends on a positive note, as they all happily work together on the fort. The full-color cartoon illustrations, especially of Bub, are adorably expressive and certain to please the age group. The generous font and format—short, diary-entry paragraphs and speech-bubble conversations—create a quick pace. Bub’s stylized emoji bubbles return and are most hilarious when used to express his nervous flatulence. Bella and Jack both present white.
A strong, accessible diary story for readers seeking an adorable animal tale. (Fantasy. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53006-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
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