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TOO SMALL TOLA

Name: TOO SMALL TOLA
Author: Atinuke
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1127-6

by Atinuke ; illustrated by Onyinye Iwu ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2021

An enjoyable, endearing collection.

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A young girl learns that she doesn’t have to be big to make a difference.

Tola lives in Lagos, Nigeria, with her siblings—sister Moji and brother Dapo, who call her “Too Small Tola” because she is the smallest—under the care of their grandmother. Each of the three short chapters tells of Tola’s adventures while immersing readers in Lagos daily life. In Tola’s first adventure, Grandmommy chooses Tola to take shopping, causing Tola to panic as she worries she won’t be able to carry their purchases. After collecting everything from Grandmommy’s seemingly never-ending list, they make their way home, taking plenty of breaks that leave Tola’s siblings jealous. For her second adventure, she must collect water from the well near their building and then make it to school on time, but she must conquer a mean, older kid first. Tola’s final adventure occurs during a time of celebrations when Eid falls at the same time as Easter. Readers follow along as Tola takes on the challenge of measuring clients for Mr. Abdul—a tailor who lives in Tola’s building—after he breaks his leg. This collection of stories is perfect for transitioning readers, with its manageable chapters, clear, plain language, simple sentence structures, wry sense of humor, and realistic illustrations of the diverse Nigerian cast. While some elements may be unfamiliar to readers outside Tola’s culture, readers will find anchors in Tola’s relationships.

An enjoyable, endearing collection. (Fiction. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 2, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-5362-1127-6

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
100 GOATS AND GRANNY!
by Atinuke ; illustrated by Lauren Hinds

- BOOK REVIEW
BETI AND THE LITTLE ROUND HOUSE
by Atinuke ; illustrated by Emily Hughes

- BOOK REVIEW
L IS FOR LOVE
by Atinuke ; illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

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WHERE TRIPLETS GO, TROUBLE FOLLOWS

by Michelle Poploff ; illustrated by Victoria Jamieson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2015

An appealing idea for a chapter book but undistinguished in execution.

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The Divine triplets, Lily, Daisy, and Violet, are alike in some ways and different in others, but they agree about their troublesome new puppy.

This chapter book introduces the three girls: Lily, who loves to read and dares to write and recite a poem; Daisy, who loves baseball and plays even better after she gets glasses; and drama queen Violet, who makes up for her science failures with a project about the ways the three of them take after different members of their family. And then there's Grandpa Dash and Grandma Rose. The girls’ habit of jumping to conclusions leads them to assume that their dad's father and mother’s mother are getting married, but the big announcement turns out to be the gift of a new dog. The third-person narrative is dialogue-heavy, with amusing, age-appropriate wordplay: Violet calls a science fair project about electricity a “shocker” and uses words like “ridonculous” and “matchy-matchy.” There's no sense of place and no clear indication of the girls' age; this is an episodic story of people and relationships. In the end, these characters don’t come alive, and readers may find it difficult to distinguish them—just as sometimes happens to triplets in real life. Grayscale illustrations help (final art not seen).

An appealing idea for a chapter book but undistinguished in execution. (Fiction. 7-9)

Pub Date: May 15, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-8234-3289-9

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BAT BONES AND SPIDER STEW
by Michelle Poploff & illustrated by Bill Basso

- BOOK REVIEW
TEA PARTY FOR TWO
by Michelle Poploff & illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

- BOOK REVIEW
BUSY O'BRIEN AND THE CATERPILLAR PUNCH BUNCH
by Michelle Poploff & illustrated by Judith A. Mitchell

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TWO FOR JOY

by Gigi Amateau ; illustrated by Abigail Marble ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015

A deceptively simple, warmhearted tale, particularly apt for chapter-book readers with similar experiences or an interest in...

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When feisty great-aunt Britannia falls and hurts herself for the fourth time in two years, 8-year-old Jenna and her mom, a nurse, invite “Tannie” to come and live with them.

But the strong-willed, widowed Tannie, an avid birder who once could fly an airplane and ride a motorcycle, isn’t quite ready to give up her Mississippi farm and move in with her beloved relatives in Virginia. Eventually Tannie relents. Although Jenna appreciates having her great-aunt’s inspiring spirit nearby, soon Tannie’s needs cut into the maternal attentiveness Jenna has come to expect. Learning to accept change and to ask for help become challenges for all of the characters, as transitioning into an intergenerational threesome is presented as an ongoing process. Amateau’s experiences with caregiving and her work in the world of aging and disability services inform this mildly generic, timeless story. Refreshing aspects include an adventurous older female character striving to remain vital and the mutually respectful relationship between Jenna and her mother, who is the primary parent after divorce.

A deceptively simple, warmhearted tale, particularly apt for chapter-book readers with similar experiences or an interest in multigenerational stories. (Fiction. 7-9)