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MY FRIEND ANDY

Name: MY FRIEND ANDY
Author: Emma Chinnery
ISBN: 9781454955252

by Emma Chinnery ; illustrated by Emma Chinnery ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

After reading this touching tale, everyone will want to befriend these irresistible pups.

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A dog meets a loving new pal.

Red-coated Fluffy narrates this heartwarming story in first, er, person. Fluffy lives with best friend Lilly and her mom. Every morning on their walk to the park, they pass gray-furred Andy and his guardian, an unhoused street musician. Fluffy's always happy to see Andy, but she isn’t permitted to play with him. One morning when Lilly and Fluffy are playing fetch, the ball goes into the street; Fluffy chases after it and gets lost. Andy appears and invites Fluffy to join him and his owner, promising they’ll help find Lilly tomorrow. The next day, Andy’s owner spots a “Missing” poster with Fluffy’s photo and address, and Fluffy and Lilly get their loving reunion. After a delicious dinner and a warm bath, Fluffy describes the adventure, explaining—in “dog language,” naturally—“I love my friend Andy. I’m sad we won’t be allowed to play together again.” Lilly listens, but Fluffy’s unsure she understands dogspeak. On the family’s next walk to the park, they encounter Andy and his owner, and friendships blossom between dogs and owners. Looks like Lilly understands after all. Readers, especially dog fanciers, will be moved by this affecting U.K. import and root for these personable pooches; loving friendships aren’t bound by species. The colorful, loose-lined illustrations are reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s work. Lilly, Mom, and the musician are tan-skinned; background characters are diverse.

After reading this touching tale, everyone will want to befriend these irresistible pups. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 26, 2024

ISBN: 9781454955252

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Union Square Kids

Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ENCHANTED BEACH
by Esther Freud ; illustrated by Emma Chinnery

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)