Realistic, affirming, and uplifting.
Irrepressible Aven Green returns to tackle a new challenge: playing a musical instrument.
When her teacher Ms. Luna announces a talent show, Aven has no trouble listing her many skills: She’s already a keen detective and a strong baker. But what she really wants is to be a professional musician. After all, not having arms doesn’t mean she can’t play an instrument. And surely, a week is more than enough time to master some Mozart! But finding an instrument she can handle—or rather “feetle”—is tougher than it seems. The violin is out of the question, and her toes don’t stretch enough to play chords on the piano. Her best friend hurts her feelings by dubbing her piano-playing “bad noises,” and hearing about her classmates’ talents (which range from artistic to humorously revolting) makes her feel like giving up. But with support from Ms. Luna, her parents, and her great-grandmother, Aven learns that all that matters is doing her best. As Aven’s appealing self-confidence alternates with frustration, Bowling simultaneously acknowledges setbacks and reassures readers that discouraging feelings don’t last forever. Adults’ matter-of-fact acceptance of Aven’s musical ambition is refreshing, and the resolution to her instrumental dilemma is heartwarming. Straightforward dialogue explores such concepts as patience, persistence, and tact. Perry’s spirited black-and-white cartoon illustrations vividly express Aven’s sadness, determination, and joy. Aven and her family present White, Ms. Luna is depicted as brown-skinned, and Aven’s classmates are racially diverse.
Realistic, affirming, and uplifting. (glossary) (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4549-4222-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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