by Annika Dunklee ; illustrated by Lori Joy Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017
A pleasing morality tale on the importance of friendship and teamwork
Bespectacled, brown-skinned English-speaker Annie, white Swede Lillemor, and dark-complected Francophone Lilianne are back again as Dunklee and Smith team up in this follow-up to Me Too! (2015).
This time around the multilingual trio sets out to conquer the music world, or at least the school talent show, as an all-girl vocal trio. Things seem to be off to a good start when Lillemor and Lilianne quickly agree on a song to perform for the show, but Annie forcefully asserts her own idea that they make up their own song. In fact, Annie vetoes all her friends’ opinions, “Because this whole thing was my idea.” The trio quickly dissolves as Annie makes it all about “me, me, me,” leaving her friends behind to pursue a solo act. Annie learns the hard way what it’s like to not have her opinion listened to, while Lillemore and Lilianne discover their duo is lacking an important piece. Ready to truly work as a team, the girls reunite just in time to perform in the school talent show. Themes of empathy, diversity and cooperation abound. Bright, digitally rendered illustrations are sure to appeal to young audiences, while the character-development lesson is sure to appeal to many adults.
A pleasing morality tale on the importance of friendship and teamwork . (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77138-660-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
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