Sometimes being famous isn’t all that great, but this story of friendship, self-reliance, and overcoming jealousy is.
Amy is a star, but sharing the spotlight isn’t so easy.
When her teacher calls her a star, Amy believes she is famous. She loves being famous, signing autographs for her fans and dressing in the color of fame: red. But a new day at school brings a new girl named Cecile, and Cecile is also dressed like someone famous (Hermione Granger, accessorized, according to Cecile, with “the actual scarf” worn in a Harry Potter movie). Naturally, everyone wants to be Cecile’s friend, except for Amy. Amy’s mom encourages her to make friends, so she invites Cecile for a play date—but Cecile doesn’t want to do anything, because famous people have to always look pretty and stay clean. But that’s no fun. In the end, they agree being regular girls is better than being famous. Told from Amy’s perspective, the text ties together her experiences, imagination, and feelings. Bottner uses Amy’s teddy bear to share additional thoughts and feelings Amy may be having, similar to a conscience. While most of the illustrations are done on a white background, Chen uses color to express mood, with dull colors for sad moments and bright, bold colors for happiness. Amy and her mom present Asian, and her dad has brown skin and black hair; Cecile has light-brown skin and curly hair.
Sometimes being famous isn’t all that great, but this story of friendship, self-reliance, and overcoming jealousy is. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-13490-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: Nov. 25, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
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
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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