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WANDA THE WARTHOG WHO WORRIED

Name: WANDA THE WARTHOG WHO WORRIED
Author: Frances Stickley
ISBN: 9798347102297

by Frances Stickley ; illustrated by Chris Chatterton ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2026

An enthusiastic reminder to embrace one’s true self wholeheartedly.

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A warthog learns the key to a satisfying life.

Deep in the jungle resides exuberant Wanda, who is uniquely herself: “hair-sprouting, rule-flouting, / treasured and tusked.” Her animal friends marvel at her generosity, humor, and upbeat nature: She’s a true “one in a million.” But early one morning, a flock of macaws flies across the sky as the awe-inspired jungle residents watch. Eager to make a good impression, Wanda rolls around in the mud and excitedly greets the new arrivals with treats, much to the indifference of the macaws. Disappointed, Wanda makes the fatal error of comparing herself to others (“Why do they sing while I snuffle and grunt? / Why do they soar while I stumble and trot?”), spurring an existential crisis. After a string of humorous attempts to mimic the macaws, Wanda’s true friends remind her that she’s perfect just the way she is. Young readers will relate to Wanda’s spectrum of emotions, from confidence to inadequacy and back to pride. Stickley’s lengthy rhyming text borders on the verbose, at times creating a busy, cramped look on the page. But Chatterton’s expressive, scribbly art is the true draw; whether beaming or wallowing in a funk, unibrowed Wanda’s a scene-stealer. While the ending is slightly didactic, adults seeking a way to encourage young people to be themselves will find the book useful.

An enthusiastic reminder to embrace one’s true self wholeheartedly. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 28, 2026

ISBN: 9798347102297

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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WHAT WILL I BE?
by Frances Stickley ; illustrated by Lucy Fleming

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THE MOUSE'S APPLES
by Frances Stickley ; illustrated by Kristyna Litten

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LOVE YOU ALWAYS
by Frances Stickley ; illustrated by Migy Blanco

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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)