Ably demonstrates finding thoughtful solutions for common problems.
In Cole’s seventh installment of a middle-grade series, fifth graders find their math team and their friendships put to the test.
Soccer star Stephanie Lewis leads her school team to victory in the town of Maynard. They score a spot in the state tournament, but unfortunately, it’s the same weekend as the district math competition. She delivers the sad news to her team, the Math Kids. As Stephanie predicts, Justin Grant responds in anger and practically demands she leave the group if she’s too busy for the math competition. Catherine Duchesne storms off with Stephanie, while Justin’s only remaining teammate, Jordan Waters, helplessly watches. The following days are filled with “icy silence” among the four friends as some search for a way to repair the rift. Then there’s an unexpected snag. Justin’s dad has a new job lined up elsewhere, and the family will likely move by the end of the school year. Even if all four of the Math Kids manage somehow to reunite and compete, it may be for the very last time. Cole’s educational story brims with math problems that characters solve (readers can also find the solutions). The bright, young cast is likable despite Stephanie and Justin’s squabble (both sides have reason to be hurt). And it’s a delight when Catherine and Jordan work hard to fix real-world problems. While this installment is less exciting than others (which involve burglary, kidnapping, etc.), it shows how everyday life can sometimes hit the hardest. O’Toole’s black-and-white artwork leaves lasting impressions, whether filled with detail (Justin’s packed but organized room) or deceptively simple (the Math Kids’ hands raised in unison). A helpful appendix clarifies some of the more complex mathematics, like the order of operations.
Ably demonstrates finding thoughtful solutions for common problems.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-988761-73-2
Page Count: 186
Publisher: Common Deer Press
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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