by Élisabeth Eudes-Pascal ; illustrated by Élisabeth Eudes-Pascal ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2020
A climate-change subtext makes this polar picnic no day at the beach.
This picture book assumes a direct-cinema approach to a tale about facing fears.
A watercolor landscape rooted in blues invites readers to an iceberg beach of sorts. The anthropomorphic polar bears sport colorful swimsuits and tote balls, noodles, and goggles. A dad polar bear suggests “Let’s jump in!” to his child polar bear. The entire narrative is conveyed in pictures and through what looks like hand-lettered text in speech bubbles, with the child’s refrain of “don’t let go!” punctuating nearly every spread. The child clings to dad even though the little one seems to be of a size and age to go solo in the water. While the child bear desires and accepts a number of beach toys from siblings swimming by, the dad’s repeated suggestion to “float on your own” is refused. Crowded one-page illustrations confusingly juxtaposed across double-page spreads show other family members relaxing, bickering, and playing in the water and along shore ice while boats pass on the horizon. As the child bear continues to cling to dad, the repetitive tale will either grow endearing in its familiarity or slightly stale—until readers notice that a couple of the bears complain about the warm water and melting ice, and a final scene of the child all alone crying for mommy suggests a dire, very short future. Both the visually difficult presentation and the apocalyptic storyline make this one suited for older readers.
A climate-change subtext makes this polar picnic no day at the beach. (Picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: April 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77147-359-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
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by Suzy Kline ; illustrated by Amy Wummer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 27, 2018
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.
A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.
Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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by Claudia Mills ; illustrated by Rob Shepperson ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2016
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading.
When Franklin School principal Mr. Boone announces a pet-show fundraiser, white third-grader Cody—whose lack of skill and interest in academics is matched by keen enthusiasm for and knowledge of animals—discovers his time to shine.
As with other books in this series, the children and adults are believable and well-rounded. Even the dialogue is natural—no small feat for a text easily accessible to intermediate readers. Character growth occurs, organically and believably. Students occasionally, humorously, show annoyance with teachers: “He made mad squinty eyes at Mrs. Molina, which fortunately she didn’t see.” Readers will be kept entertained by Cody’s various problems and the eventual solutions. His problems include needing to raise $10 to enter one of his nine pets in the show (he really wants to enter all of them), his troublesome dog Angus—“a dog who ate homework—actually, who ate everything and then threw up afterward”—struggles with homework, and grappling with his best friend’s apparently uncaring behavior toward a squirrel. Serious values and issues are explored with a light touch. The cheery pencil illustrations show the school’s racially diverse population as well as the memorable image of Mr. Boone wearing an elephant costume. A minor oddity: why does a child so immersed in animal facts call his male chicken a rooster but his female chickens chickens?
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: June 14, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30223-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
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by Claudia Mills ; illustrated by Grace Zong
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