A less-strident Mandy would be welcome if she makes any further appearances.
Second-grader Mandy (her mother thinks it’s “Amanda”) has strong opinions about everything, including her name.
Whether it’s her love of the color periwinkle or her disdain for the color pink, Mandy holds firm to her opinions. She tries to love her baby twins, Samantha and Cody, but they are always “damp,” and she barely tolerates her little brother Timmy. As the oldest child, she feels she can be the boss of the family. She loves Rainbow Sparkle, a cartoon cat with a TV show of her own, and she wants to be George Washington in her class’s Presidential Pageant. She really does not like her new nickname, “Polka Dot,” which is what her classmate Dennis calls her after her polka-dot underwear showed through the awful white pants her mother forced her to wear. Eventually, and a little too neatly, all is resolved: Mandy finally appreciates her roles in the class pageant, with her former nemesis, Natalie, and in her very own family. Readers of the Clementine series will find similarities, especially the first-person narration that gives readers a front-row seat into Mandy’s brain. However, it’s hard to find much to like in this whiny 8-year-old until the very end.
A less-strident Mandy would be welcome if she makes any further appearances. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-8393-4
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The story is long for the picture-book format, but children who enjoy fairy and folk tales will find the story of Ava an...
An unhappy, orphaned boy in Canada’s far north finds a new way of life with the help of a group of tiny, magical dwarves who adopt him.
Christopher, a researcher and publisher of Inuit legends and history, and Neal, a Canadian journalist, team up for a relatively lengthy, original story incorporating traditional Inuit characters and setting. Little Ava is alone and unwanted, an outcast orphan in his Arctic village. One day, he stumbles on a tiny, dwarflike man who takes Ava home to his group of family and friends (including sled dogs the size of squirrels). Ava learns that in this new world, time, size and shape can shift, according to one’s own perceptions and inner strength. He proves himself a worthy hunter, accepts the love and respect of his new family, and finds that he is now the same size as the tiny people, the Inugarulligaarjuit. Dreamy watercolor illustrations in muted tones show Ava’s growth from a cowering child to a brave and strong boy who can fight a lemming or a bear.
The story is long for the picture-book format, but children who enjoy fairy and folk tales will find the story of Ava an unusual and compelling one. (author’s note, glossary, pronunciation guide) (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-92709-502-7
Page Count: 41
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2013
Fans of the Roches will appreciate in-jokes, like the mention of strawberry-apricot pie, but ultimately, this chronicle of...
While many children may answer the titular question in the affirmative, it seems likely that only (some) adults will appreciate the behind-the-scenes glimpse of one group’s genesis offered by quirky songstress Roche.
Although she begins by suggesting that, in general, kids who like to make noise may be budding musicians, Roche’s perspective quickly becomes specific. If you want to be in a band, “you’ll need two interesting, smart older sisters who can play guitars and sing.” She’s also a wee bit behind the times: The band she suggests emulating is the Beatles (though showing the dog in a shaggy wig as Ringo is worth a giggle—at least to grownups, who’ll know who he is). Roche does provide, and reiterate, some pragmatic advice: Aspiring musicians will need to practice, practice, practice. But it’s buried in an arch, overlong text with minimal child appeal. Potter’s distinctive watercolor-and-ink illustrations feature flat-faced characters and straightforward compositions, effectively conveying the action and creating a retro vibe. This suits Roche’s somewhat nostalgic view of growing up and getting famous perfectly, but unfortunately, it does little to inject energy or interest.
Fans of the Roches will appreciate in-jokes, like the mention of strawberry-apricot pie, but ultimately, this chronicle of perfecting skills and performing for ever larger audiences is too narrowly focused to provide encouragement, entertainment or inspiration. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86879-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
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