A picture book that celebrates African-American girls’ hair.
Williams’ debut describes what happens when Penny asks her mother if she can take out her braids and wear her hair down like her white friends. Her mom explains that her hair is different from her friends’ hair but that there’s nothing wrong with this. Mom shows Penny pictures of many hairstyles, and Penny opts for two magic puffballs. When Penny wears her hair in the two fluffy pigtails, she has a banner day. She finds her favorite purple pencil, aces her spelling test, and at recess, she manages to jump rope better than she ever has before. She’s sure that her new hairstyle has given her these powers and tells her mom she wants to wear it that way every day. Colorful, cartoonlike illustrations portray Penny and her friends and help to bring Penny and her hair to life in a fresh style that never looks babyish. The book opens with a short message to parents and closes with a photo collage of real girls all sporting their own magic puffballs. Williams offers a positive message about black hair and a likable character in Penny; however, Penny faces little conflict. After the initial dilemma of her friends’ asking her to wear her hair down, it’s all smooth sailing for Penny thanks to her new do. Though nervous about a spelling test, the magic of her hairstyle means, “She didn’t have to think too hard. Even the tricky words just came to her—like magic!” More struggle would have added some welcome realism.
Younger readers will enjoy this wish-fulfillment tale, while parents will appreciate the upbeat way it celebrates differences.
Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2013
ISBN: 978-0991212903
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Glori Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
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