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WORMS

Name: WORMS
Author: Bernard Friot
ISBN: 978-1-77138-571-8

by Bernard Friot ; illustrated by Aurélie Guillerey ; translated by Yvette Ghione ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2015

Readers may carefully pick through their lettuce from now on, just in case.

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A French import about an impish boy and one very impulsive decision he makes to liven up his father’s dinner party.

Surrounded by dreary, talking grown-ups, the young narrator is desperate to escape his father’s business gathering. So when it is suggested that John-Paul serve the salad course, he gratefully jumps up to the kitchen to obey. However, even with shrimp and almonds, the salads look a little plain. He decides they need an extra ingredient: worms! This turn of events makes the dinner party practically exciting. Each grown-up has a different way of dealing with the tiny trespasser on the plate. John-Paul giggles in delight until—GULP—he realizes there is one salad left to eat: his own. When he is introduced, he is wearing one green sock and one red sock, so readers glimpse right away this boy may not be as serious as his father hopes. Guillerey’s delightfully ink-scrawled, retro-style drawings and expressive tiny, pink worms add extra fun. The translation is a bit stilted in the beginning but perks up when the intruding annelids enter the story.

Readers may carefully pick through their lettuce from now on, just in case. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-77138-571-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: May 11, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE FISHING LESSON
by Heinrich Böll ; illustrated by Emile Bravo ; adapted by Bernard Friot

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THE HUGASAURUS

by Rachel Bright ; illustrated by Chris Chatterton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 6, 2022

Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.

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A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.

A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S DINOSAURS & PREHISTORIC CREATURES | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SNAIL IN SPACE
by Rachel Bright ; illustrated by Nadia Shireen

- BOOK REVIEW
SLUG IN LOVE
by Rachel Bright ; illustrated by Nadia Shireen

- BOOK REVIEW
WHEN I'M BIGGER, MAMA BEAR
by Rachel Bright ; illustrated by Rachel Bright

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)