Young love, fifth-grade variety, portrayed with warmth and humor and that extra, penetrating touch one expects of Byars. Simon Newton has actually loved Cybil Ackerman since second grade when she supported him in a bad classroom moment shortly after his father left home. It was during the same "awful" period that Simon and fatherless Tony Angotti became friends—"sealed together by a mutual loss rather than mutual interest." But now Tony's lies and tricks as he attempts to beat Simon's time with Cybil cause Simon to question that friendship. When things come to a head with a mixed-up afternoon movie date, Simon's mother has some perceptive things to say about poor Tony, who will never realize that he's his own worst enemy. Crumb as he is, we've seen Tony's human side in some touching moments with his weepy grandfather. But the story's real emotional dimension comes from Simon's feelings about his absent father: in a few well-placed words Byars documents his evolution from the initial desolation and pathetic daydreams to the present dull ache and then, in his relationship with Tony, a facing-up that sets him apart from his irresponsible father. (The story's only flaw is Byars' implicit dig at long-hairs, environmentalists, and vegetarians, apropos this contrast.) Oh yes, the young hero does end up with the girl, on an after-the-movies bicycle ride more suited than the movie date to their age and inclinations.
Pub Date: April 27, 1981
ISBN: 0140343563
Page Count: 61
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1981
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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