An idealized version of childhood that may be comforting to some readers but slow going for others.
A nostalgic middle-grade fiction debut by Wargel about a young girl living on a Midwestern farm with her parents and two brothers.
This slice-of life tale focuses on the weeks approaching fifth-grader Hattie Mae’s favorite holiday, Halloween, as she plans her costume for her school’s annual parade. Her excitement mounts because this year, the school will be giving awards for the best costumes. Hattie always dresses as a witch, as her friends remind her. But this year, she decides to pair with her friend, Charlot, to try something new after seeing her youth-group friends perform as the “Pleasant Hill Porkettes.” (Esmerelda, her farm’s pig, also has 10 new piglets, which further inspires Hattie.) With the assistance of Hattie Mae’s mother, the girls craft unique pig costumes. But when priggish teacher Mrs. Pinchly disapproves of Hattie Mae’s daring use of brassieres as udders, it makes the girl doubt her costume choice. But although the girl is embarrassed and shocked by the chastisement, it merely delays the story’s happy ending. This chapter book effectively introduces a way of life that many middle-graders haven’t experienced—living on a working farm in a rural community where church youth groups are important components of social life. Wargel also includes photographs of her family from her own childhood, and a few questions at the end of the book show her interest in further engaging her readers. Hattie is a determinedly average heroine, but she does show a glimmer of creativity and daring. However, other than the aforementioned scene with Mrs. Pinchly, there’s a curious lack of conflict in the story, which may bore some middle graders. The text features a few appealing images by debut illustrator Mugisha, which help date the events of the book, but Hattie Mae’s name and quaint lifestyle suggest a less modern setting than the images do.
An idealized version of childhood that may be comforting to some readers but slow going for others.Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-5033-0329-4
Page Count: 74
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 11, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p>
Caregiver-child love abounds in this rhyming board book full of animal puns.
One thing’s for certain, there’s plenty of sweet (and groanworthy) sentiments in this book. Rossner writes, “Giving HOGS and kisses / sends me to the moon!” and, “I’m such a lucky DUCK. / You really QUACK me up!” The book progresses entirely in this fashion, with a new animal pair and pun with each page turn. It reads well as a book for a caregiver to share with a lap-sitting child. On that mark, it succeeds in providing plenty of opportunities for giggles and snuggles. That said, at times the meter is forced, making the cadence a bit stilted, and the cuddles/bubbles rhyme is a dubious one. This is an issue for a book that will almost solely be read aloud. Gibson’s illustrations are very charming; the animals and insects with big eyes and expressive faces have high appeal. The warmth of the animals’ embraces and cuddles translates well from the page, inviting the same snuggles from readers. Decorated eggs appear on each page, and the bunny pair from the cover features prominently. Overall, the concept and message of the book are high interest and age-appropriate, but it doesn’t stand out from the very crowded shelf of “I love you, little one!” books similar to it.
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p> (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2343-8
Page Count: 25
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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