Cleverly relatable.
A school bus is nervous for his first day of school.
Yellow’s wipers swish anxiously from side to side. Today is the very first time that Yellow will ever transport kids, but he’s not sure if he’s ready. He tries to stall by telling his parents that his tires feel a little low and his oil is a little stale. They reassure him that everything is in working order. But even more worries abound. What if a herd of elephants come charging toward him? What if he gets lost? What if the kids choose another bus over him? “The world can be scary sometimes, but more often it can be wonderful,” his mother reassures him. “What if something really good happens today?” Slowly, by taking one step at a time (starting his engine first), Yellow rolls onto the road, ready for school. There are no eyes perched comically on this protagonist; instead, Yellow’s mood is conveyed through subtle art decisions: wiper placement, a grill that seems to smile, and general stature. Mirroring children’s own first-day worries, Guendelsberger flips the point of view to a familiar back-to-school mainstay. This one will pair very well with Adam Rex’s School’s First Day of School (illustrated by Christian Robinson, 2016). The students are a diverse crowd. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cleverly relatable. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72825-799-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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