by Cari Best ; illustrated by Lisa Hunt ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2018
Amply demonstrates that kindergarten lays the foundation for life, both in the lessons learned and in the opportunities...
When her beloved kindergarten teacher goes on maternity leave, Mabel gently guides the substitute to be a better teacher and finds a future career.
Her absent teacher’s influence is evident throughout, as Mabel continually uses the lessons Mrs. Ampersand has taught the class to cheer up her classmates, calm them down, give pointers to the new sub (Mrs. Windbag), and help shape behaviors. For example, when Albert starts making “mouth noises“ to mock the new teacher’s name, Mabel points out that he’s disappointing Mrs. Ampersand, who taught them “to be kind to every living thing.” And after patiently listening to Mrs. Windbag drone on about natural gas (!) for over an hour, Mabel asks to change the topic and teaches everyone about bats (spurring Albert to check all the bat books out of the library). Hunt’s brightly colored illustrations portray a diverse classroom of students and teachers (Mrs. Ampersand is black, while Mrs. Windbag is white, as Mabel appears to be as well). Though all the students exhibit great body language and expressive faces, Mabel is the only one with personality. The riffs on Mrs. Windbag’s name—and its insulting nature—may largely go over readers’ heads, but adults will chuckle when she pulls out her bagpipes and talks about a hot air balloon ride.
Amply demonstrates that kindergarten lays the foundation for life, both in the lessons learned and in the opportunities presented. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5107-2071-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
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by Tom Percival ; illustrated by Tom Percival ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019
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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by Rachel Bright ; illustrated by Chris Chatterton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 6, 2022
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
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
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