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SIPPI SUE AND THE COOL CAT BLUES

Name: SIPPI SUE AND THE COOL CAT BLUES
Author: Beth Greenway
ISBN: 978-1-4556-2267-2

by Beth Greenway ; illustrated by Jamie Meckel Tablason ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2017

This cat’s one-toothed smile will charm even the most ardent dog person.

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Sippi Sue’s one blues-loving puss.

Orange, smiling kitty Sippi Sue lives in a Mississippi Delta town. She grooves through her day to the sounds around her. Rain gives a good beat: “pitter-patter on the sill, / a drip-drip-dripping that’s so chill, / a plop-plop-plopping jive until / the rain begins to pound.” Napping in a crate, she dreams of cream and fish and then steals a treat from the butcher when the rain’s done. She struts past the riverboats at the docks. She plays a tune on garbage cans by jumping on their lids and scoots across town jiving to the ambient beat of her neighborhood. As night falls, she hears the sound of a juke joint and dances with the other cats to the “crazy cool cat blues.” Mississippian Greenway’s paw-tapping, onomatopoeic text about a happy cat’s finding music in her day will appeal to cat and music lovers. The rhyme has as much of a beat as the music it celebrates, but there’s not much tale to this tale. Tablason’s luminous, vibrant, adorably cartoony illustrations, nearly all full-bleed, are the real standout. The bayou comes through, and Sippi Sue practically dances off the pages.

This cat’s one-toothed smile will charm even the most ardent dog person. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4556-2267-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Pelican

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
A TRUE PRINCESS OF HAWAI‘I
by Beth Greenway ; illustrated by Tammy Yee

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.

Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: March 29, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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GOING PLACES

by Peter H. Reynolds ; Paul A. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014

Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.

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Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.

Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.

Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)