A calming, helpful title about a childhood rite of passage.
A kid starting school is underwhelmed.
Unsurprisingly, the reluctant scholar expresses grievances: Teachers are mean, it might snow, and the classroom’s always cold. A wise, reassuring parent or caregiver in the background offers counterarguments: School’s warm (in more ways than one) and fun, teachers are kind, and new friends and activities await. What about the protagonist’s (and many children’s) biggest complaint—missing their favorite grown-up? Wouldn’t the adult prefer staying with the child and not being alone either? The caregiver quietly explains they must work but also missed parents when a schoolchild. The best part? “I will be waiting for you.” This is a gentle take on a common experience. The gripes are typical ones; the adult’s rejoinders, sensible and sensitive. The White protagonist is more quickly convinced by the adult that school’s great than actual children might be, but this will assure readers/listeners facing the identical experience. The voices of the child and the mostly unseen grown-up are differentiated by type: The child “speaks” in orange capitals; the adult, in a conventional, black serif type. The sweet, appealing illustrations are inventive; one classmate has brown skin. A reader’s note includes tips for adults to help children beginning school. The same creative team also produced companion titles I Want Everything (2020), about tantrums, and Oh Brother! (2020), about welcoming a new baby in the family.
A calming, helpful title about a childhood rite of passage. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3244-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones.
What’s better than a cheerleading chicken?
Are you ever blue, unsure, tired, or overworked? Do you ever feel lost or overwhelmed? This uplifting book, expressed in delightful, jaunty verse, explains how to lift your spirits pronto: What you need is a booster chicken telling you’re doing great even when you’re not so confident, as when you’re learning or practicing a new skill, for instance. Your feathered champion will be right there, encouraging you all the way, with a loud “WOO HOO!” that’ll keep you going and remove any doubt you’re super terrific. But what if your cheerful chick errs and doesn’t do what it set out to do? Don’t worry—your cheery chicken just needs a reminder that everyone makes mistakes. That alone is a pep talk, enhanced by the wisdom that making mistakes allows everyone to learn and demonstrate they did their best. So forgive yourself, chickens! But the best thing is…instead of relying on someone else—like a chicken—to strengthen your ego, say a generous daily “WOO HOO!” to yourself. This riotous book hits all the right notes and does so succinctly and hilariously. The energetic, comical illustrations, in Boynton’s signature style, will elicit giggles and go far to make the book’s important point. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-48679-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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