While Abigail’s internal process feels believable, there is no condemnation of the bullying, and the resolution with the...
A fat girl named Abigail copes with a negative body image.
Unfortunately, this book’s good intentions miss the mark. The very title, juxtaposed with jacket art depicting a heavyset white girl clad in a bathing suit and goggles, risks reinforcing the fat-shaming it attempts to undo. As the book opens, Abigail walks, head down, toward a group of jeering, thin, white children. “Abigail always tried to be last in line, because she knew that when she dived in, she would make an enormous wave, and everyone would shout, 'ABIGAIL IS A WHALE!’ ”—and that’s exactly what happens. Also poolside is the swimming teacher, a white man, who is fat, too. Although he does nothing to stop or correct the children’s bullying of Abigail, he talks with her afterward, praising her swimming and telling her, “if you want to feel light, think light.” She decides to practice this mind-over-matter advice in other ways (thinking “giant” to feel big and powerful on her walk home and “hedgehog” to cozily burrow into bed for a good night’s sleep), building up to her next dive into the pool. Then she thinks “rocket and enter[s] the water without a splash.” This success suddenly makes the others cheer her on, and she even reclaims the term “whale” in order to summon the bravery to jump from the highest diving board.
While Abigail’s internal process feels believable, there is no condemnation of the bullying, and the resolution with the other children feels forced. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-77147-198-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
Approachable and comfortably predictable.
A young ghost arrives at Scare School.
Unlike big sister Bella, late bloomer Bash has never been good at “all the GHOST STUFF.” Dad’s sure that Scare School is just what Bash needs. Bash isn’t so certain; he’s intimidated by his classmates and teachers. But he perks up when he meets his roommate, Itsy, a smart, welcoming spider, though he vows to steer clear of mean-spirited Vlad and Vicky. Still, the dreaded Creature Aptitude Test worries Bash. To pass, he must pass through solid objects and turn himself invisible—skills he struggles with. Bash doesn’t want to be kicked out of school, so he’ll have to buckle down. With Itsy’s help and encouragement from his classmates, Bash realizes he’s more capable than he thought. Written in first person from endearingly anxious Bash’s point of view, the book has a diarylike feel. The text is presented in a handwritten font, while grayscale cartoon illustrations are peppered throughout. The supportive, sincere friendship between Bash and Itsy is the most compelling part of the story. Letters between Bash and Bella shed further light on Bash’s personality and their relationship. Though the book’s takeaway—believe in yourself, and you can do anything—is a familiar one, it’s just what many children need…and who better to deliver the message than an adorably nervous ghost?
Approachable and comfortably predictable. (Fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665922098
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
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