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GEORGE PEARCE AND HIS HUGE MASSIVE EARS

Name: GEORGE PEARCE AND HIS HUGE MASSIVE EARS
Author: Felix Massie
ISBN: 978-1-84780-794-6

by Felix Massie ; illustrated by Felix Massie ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2018

Nothing original here, but this is an amusing-enough way of looking at the issue of becoming your own person

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Do George’s big, round ears bring in too many opinions from the people around him?

This pinkish cartoony figure of a boy with black hair and very large circular protuberances coming out of his head has a problem (but it’s not the fact that his ears knock things over). He can hear “things on the sly. // But the trouble with hearing each word that is said… / Well, soon the words started to fill George’s head.” George can’t make any decisions. He spends too much time trying to decide if he likes pink or blue (after hearing children arguing over stereotypical gender choices) or which games or toys or names are his favorites (this British import uses British spellings, “colours” and “favourites”). When he encounters children and adults in public (both with realistic skin tones and with green and purple faces too), the words all meld together into “BLAH, BLAH, BLAH,” written all over the background in visual cacophony. Finally, George decides just to listen to himself. He chooses pink as his favorite color, selects his favorite toy and game, and picks his own name as the best. He discovers that when he is himself, other people can appreciate him too. The appealing digital illustrations with their childlike images and strong background colors are humorous, but the rhyming story is reminiscent of many others about self-esteem.

Nothing original here, but this is an amusing-enough way of looking at the issue of becoming your own person . (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: May 5, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-84780-794-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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BUDDY'S NEW BUDDY

From the Growing With Buddy series , Vol. 3

by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.

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How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?

Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SORRY, GROWN-UPS, YOU CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL!
by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers

- BOOK REVIEW
BUDDY'S BEDTIME BATTERY
by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)