A humorous tale that will encourage young readers, especially girls, to pursue science—and trust that they have unique...
Twersky (Curlee Girlee, 2016) and Wolcott’s (My Funny Ears, 2016, etc.) spiral-haired protagonist makes a triumphant return in a sequel about finding and embracing your talents.
Curlee Girlee, a pink-wearing, curly haired girly girl, is incredibly excited about her first day of “big-kid school”: first grade. But of course, her hair won’t cooperate. After a run-in with her annoying brother, Curlee turns to her big sister, who helps her tame her locks with magical barrettes. In first grade, she’s happy to be reunited with her kindergarten friends, but when her teacher announces a talent show, she worries: “I’m not good at anything but making a big mess.” She tries to copy her friends’ talents: Tai does ballet, Josie sings, and Henry does magic tricks, but each of Curlee’s attempts goes wrong. She finally has the idea that science could be her talent and steals her brother’s science kit. She first practices making a volcano at home under her mother’s watchful eye and later creates one on her own in class—an effort that turns out to be a huge hit with her friends and her new teacher. Curlee’s class is wonderfully diverse in both its talents and its ethnic representation, though the students have a strange aversion to science for first graders. Wolcott’s soft-edged, digital illustrations, as in the first Curlee Girlee book, perfectly capture their young heroine’s attitude. They also show that there’s no conflict between girls’ liking pink and sparkles and being great at science—and that being messy in the right way can encourage others to make experiments of their own. Twersky’s vocabulary and simple sentences make this a good choice for newly independent readers, who may be dealing with their own fears about fitting in or with finding a way to be special. Some readers may find it odd that Curlee’s mother doesn’t scold her (or impose other consequences) for the theft of her brother’s science kit, but Twersky once again shows a lively girl and a loving family.
A humorous tale that will encourage young readers, especially girls, to pursue science—and trust that they have unique talents.Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9968438-4-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sandbox Publishing LLC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.
How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?
Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
