CURLEE GIRLEE'S GOT TALENT

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.