An unentertaining presentation of complex topics.
A classroom of children practice expressing preferences with their teacher and caregivers.
A bright yellow school bus drops off Jamie, who is light-skinned with reddish-brown hair, and their classmates for Family Day at a suburban school building. Jamie’s peers discuss the ways their caregivers misunderstand them. Jamie admires the unicorn shirt worn by Alicia, a blond, light-skinned child. Alicia replies, “My mom made me wear it,” and Jamie offers their green sweater to cover it up. Joey, a brown-skinned child with a tight Afro, complains, “My dad wants me to play soccer, but I want to go to art class with Jamie,” and Xavier, who has brown hair and light skin, wishes his uncle would not shame him for crying. The group is rounded out by Cynthia, who has light skin and a blue hijab, who longs to play with her food instead of focusing on manners. The children resolve their issues neatly and, with their teacher’s blessing, organize an art project to share their truths with their caregivers. Chunky black text is paired with illustrations filled with cheerful greens, calm blues, and warm browns. Though the story is well intentioned, it lacks verve; the children’s distress about gender norms and expected behavior feels less like a narrative and more like a laundry list of woes. Backmatter includes helpful notes about listening to and offering decision-making power to children whenever possible. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An unentertaining presentation of complex topics. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63198-553-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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