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SMALL STEPS, BIG CHANGE

A fun, idea-filled book that will get kids excited to help themselves and the world.

Cool and Jones break down the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into concrete steps.

Twelve colorful, cartoonish smiling heroes introduce themselves with the empowering idea that everyone can improve the world by sharing, eating and living well, conserving water and energy, safeguarding the environment, being curious and kind, and ensuring that others receive fair, respectful, and equal treatment. These goals might seem unattainable, but the heroes reassure readers that they can be achieved if everyone takes manageable steps and works together. The book is organized into colorful, lively, comiclike panels. In each, a different hero explains why the goal is important and presents easy ways to realize it. Stay Well Hero notes that washing your hands, exercising, and getting plenty of sleep are all necessary for keeping the body strong and the heart healthy, while Water Hero advises readers not to litter at the beach and to take shorter showers. The language is direct and child-friendly: “It’s cool to take care of yourself. Be kind to your mind. Take care of your body. Stay active for your heart.” Easy, enjoyable activities and questions accompany the simple, conversational texts.

A fun, idea-filled book that will get kids excited to help themselves and the world. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024

ISBN: 9781664300453

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024

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DOG DAYS

From the Carver Chronicles series , Vol. 1

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

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!

John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

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