Though it’s certainly well-meaning, it lacks the wit that brings such schoolroom dramas as Kevin Henkes’ and Peter McCarty’s...
Even in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals of all sorts, Agatha stands out.
She has her mom’s piggy ears and her dad’s bearish nose, and even at family gatherings, she doesn’t quite fit in. At her first birthday party, all the bears from her dad’s side of the family stand on verso, and all the pigs from her mother’s side stand on recto, with a smiling Agatha in the middle. Standing among her easily identifiable, unispecies kindergarten classmates, she realizes she’s “a little different from everyone else.” When their teacher asks each of her students what makes them special, Agatha is so mortified that she hides. But everyone misses her, and when she pops out from her hiding place, her classmates find many things about her special: most of all, Agatha is best at “being Agatha.” The illustrations resemble pencil drawing with touches of color, and the animals look more alike than different, which may be the point. The story doesn’t have much of a dramatic arc; celebrating Agatha’s difference is its main point. Agatha herself is certainly endearing, with her green dress and red shoes and winsome expression, but a teacher asking each child what makes them special—using the tired “special snowflake” cliché—is an idea fraught with pitfalls.
Though it’s certainly well-meaning, it lacks the wit that brings such schoolroom dramas as Kevin Henkes’ and Peter McCarty’s alive. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0096-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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