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WHY DO I HAVE TO EAT MY GREENS?

Name: WHY DO I HAVE TO EAT MY GREENS?
Author: Emma Waddington
ISBN: 978-1-84780-865-3

BIG ISSUES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE ABOUT HEALTH AND WELL BEING

From the Life and Soul Library series

by Emma Waddington & Christopher McCurry ; illustrated by Louis Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2016

Simplistic at best, misleading at worst, and addressed mostly to grown-ups, notwithstanding the picture-book format.

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Two clinical child psychologists reinterpret a dozen childhood minirebellions as requests for information on topics from bathing and bedwetting to the titular veggies.

Taking a utilitarian tone from the outset, this discussion guide opens with general instructions for adult book-sharers (“Step 3: Direct the child’s attention to the illustration…”), then goes on to present 12 common domestic scenarios. Each of these features a large cartoon illustration, a short written narrative, three leading discussion questions (“How do you think Ibrahim feels about brushing his teeth?”), and further advice to parents. None of the common queries here are on the level of “Where did I come from?” but some, such as “Why can’t I wet the bed?” or “Why can’t I have some of your wine?” will likely require actions or responses that are beyond the scope of this cut-and-dried format (“Because I said so!” is not an offered option). The five children are racially diverse, but Yuki’s and her mom’s exaggeratedly slanted eyes and yellow skin come dangerously close to stereotype. For the already uninformed query “Why do I have to wear sunscreen when it’s sunny?” light-skinned Angus on the beach turns a particularly alarming shade of red.

Simplistic at best, misleading at worst, and addressed mostly to grown-ups, notwithstanding the picture-book format. (select print and web resources) (Informational picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: July 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-84780-865-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

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GRUMPY MONKEY

by Suzanne Lang ; illustrated by Max Lang ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2018

Though Jim may have been grumpy because a chimp’s an ape and not a monkey, readers will enjoy and maybe learn from his...

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It’s a wonderful day in the jungle, so why’s Jim Panzee so grumpy?

When Jim woke up, nothing was right: "The sun was too bright, the sky was too blue, and bananas were too sweet." Norman the gorilla asks Jim why he’s so grumpy, and Jim insists he’s not. They meet Marabou, to whom Norman confides that Jim’s grumpy. When Jim denies it again, Marabou points out that Jim’s shoulders are hunched; Jim stands up. When they meet Lemur, Lemur points out Jim’s bunchy eyebrows; Jim unbunches them. When he trips over Snake, Snake points out Jim’s frown…so Jim puts on a grimacelike smile. Everyone has suggestions to brighten his mood: dancing, singing, swinging, swimming…but Jim doesn’t feel like any of that. He gets so fed up, he yells at his animal friends and stomps off…then he feels sad about yelling. He and Norman (who regrets dancing with that porcupine) finally just have a sit and decide it’s a wonderful day to be grumpy—which, of course, makes them both feel a little better. Suzanne Lang’s encouragement to sit with your emotions (thus allowing them to pass) is nearly Buddhist in its take, and it will be great bibliotherapy for the crabby, cranky, and cross. Oscar-nominated animator Max Lang’s cartoony illustrations lighten the mood without making light of Jim’s mood; Jim has comically long arms, and his facial expressions are quite funny.

Though Jim may have been grumpy because a chimp’s an ape and not a monkey, readers will enjoy and maybe learn from his journey. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 15, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-553-53786-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ARCHIBALD AND THE FURRY DINOSAURS
by Suzanne Lang ; illustrated by Max Lang

- BOOK REVIEW
GRUMPY MONKEY FRESHLY SQUEEZED
by Suzanne Lang ; illustrated by Max Lang

- BOOK REVIEW
GRUMPY MONKEY PARTY TIME!
by Suzanne Lang ; illustrated by Max Lang

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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)