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THE BAD CHAIR

Name: THE BAD CHAIR
Author: Dasha Tolstikova
ISBN: 978-1-77306-246-4

by Dasha Tolstikova ; illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 27, 2020

Cute concept; readers’ mileage may vary.

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Chair just wants “to be in on the game."

Every night before bed, Vivi, a brown-skinned girl with puffy pigtails, and Monkey, a child-sized stuffed animal, play a game. Monkey hides in plain sight under a blanket, Vivi pretends to look everywhere for Monkey, Vivi questions the witnesses: Chair, Plant, Kettle, and Cat. Chair is the only witness who cares about the game. But the role of witness is not enough for Chair. Chair loves Vivi and wants to be more involved. But night after night, Monkey comes out of hiding, and the pair leaves Chair sleepless and jealous. One night, Chair decides that if Monkey needed a bath—say, if some juice were spilled on Monkey—then Chair could take Monkey’s place. But the plan backfires. When Monkey doesn’t turn up, Vivi only looks harder for Monkey and becomes upset with Chair when Vivi realizes Chair had a hand in the disappearance. But all ends well when Vivi comes to understand Chair’s intentions. Vivi is easily seen as a beloved adult, with Chair as a misunderstood, childlike character who just wants some attention, making this story a clever representation of all-too-real feelings of the young. Bright, expressive illustrations add to the chuckleworthy drama. There are some off notes: Plant’s falling “in love” with Cat is an odd touch for this age group, and the Monkey-as-peer is rather unsettling both conceptually and visually. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.8-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 71.8% of actual size.)

Cute concept; readers’ mileage may vary. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-77306-246-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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THE ADVENTURES OF CIPOLLINO
by Gianni Rodari ; illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova ; translated by Antony Shugaar

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FING'S WAR
by Benny Lindelauf ; illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova ; translated by John Nieuwenhuizen

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VIOLET AND THE WOOF
by Rebecca Grabill ; illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova

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BACK TO SCHOOL, BACKPACK!

by Simon Rich ; illustrated by Tom Toro ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 11, 2023

Will give children the emotional distance to process their own first-day jitters.

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Everyone’s nervous about going to school—even your backpack!

After months of relaxing in the closet over the summer, a green backpack quivers with nerves when it hears the words back to school. The backpack has to be pried from the closet by a light-skinned child with a blond ponytail. Going to school is, we learn, a far more terrifying prospect for a backpack. “First you open my mouth and shove a bunch of strange new books and binders down my throat.” Slung over the child’s shoulders, the backpack “can’t even see where I’m going.” At school, the backpack is smashed, stuffed, and dragged. But the worst part of school is that the backpack doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere—a feeling that will be familiar to many readers. All that changes when it crashes into another backpack worn by a child with dark skin, short curly hair, and glasses. The punny moral of the story? Life is better with a friend “because you don’t have to carry everything alone.” This funny romp will leave readers feeling empowered for their own first days. Strategically placed black pages with white lettering ramp up the drama. In Toro’s exaggerated cartoon illustrations, the backpack is wonderfully expressive, its eyes and zipper mouth conveying panic, nausea, a longing to belong, and, finally, happiness. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will give children the emotional distance to process their own first-day jitters. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: July 11, 2023

ISBN: 9780316628341

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
I'M TERRIFIED OF BATH TIME
by Simon Rich ; illustrated by Tom Toro

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LOLA GOES TO SCHOOL

From the Lola & Leo series

by Anna McQuinn ; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2019

Both perfect for Lola fans and likely to earn her ever more readers.

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After years of everyday joys with McQuinn and Beardshaw’s Lola, readers now watch her start school.

It “will be a bit like story time at the library, but Lola will stay by herself.” The little black girl “knows what to expect” because she’s visited the school with her mom. She is prepared with gifts from loved ones—“fun pencils” from Nana, a water bottle from Ty. The night before her “big day,” Lola lays out her outfit. In the morning, she tucks her stuffed kitty, Dinah, in her bag and poses for a snapshot. In the classroom, Miss Suzan, a white woman, shows her where to put her things. Lola spends time reading with her friend Julia, who has pale skin and black hair, and then they play dress-up. Her mom sits for a while before saying goodbye. After snack time and more play, there is circle time. Of course, “Lola knows the song and all the motions.” Picking Lola up at the end of the day, Mommy hugs her daughter. Beardshaw’s soft, slightly smudgy illustrations allow young readers to focus on one cozy moment at a time. Even at this milestone, Lola still appears quite tiny, and the text is no more complex than in previous books, making this a seamless transition from Lola’s younger days to her new life in school.

Both perfect for Lola fans and likely to earn her ever more readers. (Picture book. 3-5)