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THE NOT-SO-SCARY DOG

Name: THE NOT-SO-SCARY DOG
Author: Alanna Propst
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3204-8

by Alanna Propst ; illustrated by Michelle Simpson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2021

A fear of dogs is no match for serviceable practicality.

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A child’s cynophobia eases after learning how to control it.

Tommy should be delighted to receive an invitation to a friend’s birthday party, so imagine Mom’s surprise when Tommy begs her not to go. The friend has a dog, and Tommy is terrified of canines of all kinds. After confiding to her child that she used to be afraid of dogs, too, Mom makes a plan with Tommy. Rather than allowing her child to avoid pups, Mom instead guides Tommy through the steps of exposure therapy. By the time the party rolls around, Tommy’s anxiety has decreased significantly. While Tommy’s quick and easy path may set high expectations for readers, the practical information it’s rooted in could prove beneficial to families. The text, alas, rhymes needlessly and clumsily, coming up with odd turns of phrase (“It’s like you’re in a fog”) for the sake of the rhyme alone. Somewhat more successful is the inclusive cartoon art (Tommy and Mom have light-brown skin and interact with a diverse array of other children). A lengthy note aimed at adults at the end not only explains exposure therapy, but also shows caregivers how to reach its benchmarks with their own children’s worries. Thankfully, the book also notes that caregivers should consult their children’s primary care physician “for guidance and for a referral if needed.”

A fear of dogs is no match for serviceable practicality. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 30, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-4338-3204-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

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FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)