Doesn’t quite make the grade.
It’s Kayla’s first day of kindergarten, and she’s riddled with anxiety about all the mistakes she’s sure she will make.
Then Kayla meets her teacher, Mrs. Muddle, and realizes that she might not be the only one learning the ropes. Mrs. Muddle passes out all the nametags to the wrong students, reads the morning storybook upside down, and confuses the library with the gym. Every time she makes a mistake, Kayla corrects her by figuring out the answer on her own. By the time the day is over, Kayla is confident in her ability to navigate her new school. Nelson’s narratorial voice is clear and charming, and the choice to illustrate Kayla as a dark-skinned girl of color is pleasing. The plot is not without its flaws, however. While Kayla claims to her mother after school that she made new friends, readers mostly see Kayla interacting with Mrs. Muddle, without the help of other students who might also be trying to correct their wayward teacher. Many of Kayla’s classmates appear also to be children of color. This would be a commendable gesture to diversity except that it transforms the book into the story of how a White teacher seems to decide that the best way to assuage the first-day jitters of a set of diverse kindergartners is to feign incompetence, a tactic that comes across as condescending.
Doesn’t quite make the grade. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77278-131-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Silvestro and Chen take a common figure of speech and transform it, literally, into a lovely expression of a universal...
Rosie has been looking forward to the first day of school for a month, practicing writing her letters and raising her hand. But the night before the big day, she begins to have second thoughts.
“I don’t feel well,” she says the next morning. “You just have butterflies in your belly,” her mother replies with a hug. And sure enough, when a girl on the school bus asks her name, a butterfly escapes from Rosie’s mouth along with the answer. Rosie’s trepidation about new experiences tugs on readers’ hearts, but as the butterflies that only she can see are released every time she participates in class, her expressions grow more confident and joyful. Finally, Rosie uses her new confidence to help another classmate who looks like she has a belly full of butterflies as well. Colorful illustrations depict children of varying skin tones with surprisingly expressive round black eyes; Rosie and her family present subtly Asian. Young readers who are worried about school will find a reassuring way to put their feelings into words, and the warm ending gives a wink to caregivers who may also find themselves feeling nervous about the first day of school.
Silvestro and Chen take a common figure of speech and transform it, literally, into a lovely expression of a universal experience. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2119-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
This succulent successfully steals the spotlight from the ever-present evergreens.
Tiny Cactus eagerly anticipates Christmas—and wishes for some holiday decorations of her own.
Sitting snugly on a bookshelf, Tiny Cactus is especially treasured by her little girl. When she notices all the Christmas decorations coming out, Tiny Cactus is excited for her turn to be covered in tinsel and sparkles. Christmas Day arrives, but Tiny Cactus still doesn’t have any holiday decor. After a pep talk from her friend—an elephant-shaped teapot—and a little holiday magic, she gets some surprising trimmings of her very own. Tiny Cactus has sweetly human characteristics: pink cheeks, expressive eyes, and little legs below her flowerpot. The muted illustrations are dominated by pale grays, various shades of green, and many pops of pink. One particularly stunning image shows the Christmas tree, lights off, still glowing in the moonlight through the nearby window. Little readers will be delighted by the holiday magic and the way that Tiny Cactus ultimately gets her decorations. Evergreen trees are usually the stars of the season, but this unique cactus makes a creative focus for this story. Children will be pleased to learn that the Christmas cactus is a real houseplant; after reading this charming tale, many will be clamoring for one of their own. The little girl and her family are drawn with light brown skin and puffy dark hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This succulent successfully steals the spotlight from the ever-present evergreens. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780063039643
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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