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BACK TO FRONT AND UPSIDE DOWN

Name: BACK TO FRONT AND UPSIDE DOWN
Author: Claire Alexander
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5414-8

by Claire Alexander & illustrated by Claire Alexander ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2012

While Stan’s improvement is a little too good to be true, Alexander’s message is clear: “We all have to ask for help...

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A little dog who has trouble with the mechanics of writing musters up the courage to ask his teacher for help.

Stan is excited about the birthday cards his class is making for the principal…until Miss Catnip tells them the cards have to include words. He tries his hardest, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, to copy the words, but they come out “back to front and upside down, and some didn’t look like letters at all!” Within the multispecies classroom, Stan sits with a huge clock looming behind him, while a page turn places Stan against a completely black background, beautifully conveying Stan’s emotional turmoil and isolation. A friend convinces him to ask Miss Catnip for help, despite his fear that everyone will laugh at him. And when he does, not only does no one laugh, but Mimi turns out to need help as well. After Miss Catnip shows them how to form their letters, one afternoon of practice allows Stan to improve enough to proudly present Mr. Slippers with his birthday card that same school day. The rough "handwritten" type reflects the topic, but it may make it difficult for beginners to read, and certainly should not be emulated by those learning to write—the “r” looks like a “v,” and there are some letters that appear to be capitals when the context calls for lowercase.

While Stan’s improvement is a little too good to be true, Alexander’s message is clear: “We all have to ask for help sometimes.” (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8028-5414-8

Page Count: 26

Publisher: Eerdmans

Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
LET'S GO PUDDLING!
by Emma Perry ; illustrated by Claire Alexander

- BOOK REVIEW
A LITTLE BIT OF RESPECT
by Claire Alexander ; illustrated by Claire Alexander

- BOOK REVIEW
THE THINK-UPS!
by Claire Alexander ; illustrated by Claire Alexander

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BUDDY'S NEW BUDDY

From the Growing With Buddy series , Vol. 3

by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.

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How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?

Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SORRY, GROWN-UPS, YOU CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL!
by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers

- BOOK REVIEW
BUDDY'S BEDTIME BATTERY
by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers

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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)