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PANCAKES AND SOCKS

Name: PANCAKES AND SOCKS
Author: Andie Michaels
ISBN: 978-1-73306-637-2

by Andie Michaels ; illustrated by Uliana Barabash ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 17, 2021

A recipe for giggles with an ending that offers just deserts.

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A child bored of breakfast raids the families’ wardrobes for ingredients in this rhyming picture-book mashup of food and fashion.

The narrator, one of three siblings, is tired of his morning culinary routine. Instead of lumpy oatmeal, he opines, “I’d rather eat thread.” Soon, the narrator is making breakfast himself, placing “earmuffs and yam” and “pancakes and socks” in front of his younger sisters. Though both girls protest, the narrator is sure these combinations are a hit; he plans to feed all the family’s pets such unique mixtures and dreams of starting a food stand. When Mom and Dad find out, however, the result is banishment to his room; later, Mom has a creative ingredient of her own for lunch—a clever twist that makes the silliness come together to satisfying effect. Michaels’ scansion is smooth, and the rhymes are solid; occasional challenging vocabulary words (such as ratatouille) make this a good choice for confident emergent readers or lap listeners. (One wishes that the narrator avoided using the ableist term lame to describe the oatmeal, however.) Barabash’s cartoonlike humans and blurry-edged backgrounds match the chaotic action of the text. But although the paintings capture the narrator’s enthusiasm and other characters’ vivid disapproval, even the illustrator’s bright colors can’t make the narrator’s food choices look appealing.

A recipe for giggles with an ending that offers just deserts.

Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-73306-637-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Mulberry Street Publishing

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2022

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ACHOO! ACHOO! I'VE GOT THE FLU
by Andie Michaels , illustrated by Mark Hernandez

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BYE BYE, BUTTERFLY
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MOUSIE LEFT BEHIND
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MAKER'S A TO Z
by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires

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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)