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THE DREAMS OF ALBERT WINTER

SPRING (BOOK 1)

Awards & Accolades

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A middle-grade debut fantasy-adventure novel about a student with a knack for getting in trouble.
After Albert Winter is reprimanded for calling his classmate, Lucy Dredgewater, a mean name and spilling water on another student’s art project, he manages to step in dog poop on the way home. He thinks he’s having a bad day, but things are about to get much worse. Soon, a mysterious voice sends him on a quest to rescue Lucy from a monster. Fortunately, he has some companions on his quest: his loyal Great Dane, Archie; and Stickman, a stick-figure drawing from the aforementioned art project. Together, they face an assortment of villains, including the stinky Squelcher and a bird of prey that bears a certain likeness to Albert’s teacher. They also meet some unlikely allies along the way, including some jelly babies and beautiful chickens that help them vanquish an army of thunder ants. They finally meet up with Lucy, who also turns out to be pretty helpful, and Albert realizes his true feelings for his classmate. The novel blends action and adventure with a healthy dose of humor. Stickman, in particular, provides a lot of comic relief, particularly with his smartphone obsession. In one funny scene, for example, he interrupts the action so that the three adventurers can pose for a selfie, which leads to the discovery of a giant tarantula just above their heads. Howick also provides flashbacks of Albert’s parents that provide some levity, including a memorable scene in which Albert’s father accidentally glues himself to a chair. Even the villains are more entertaining than threatening; as a result, the suspense isn’t likely to frighten youngsters. The book’s brief length may help draw in reluctant readers. Its clichéd conclusion, however, is a disappointment, although a surprise at the very end calls it into doubt.
A funny, exciting novel for young readers that’s likely to find many fans.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dog Ear Publisher

Review Posted Online: Dec. 9, 2014

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S CHRISTMAS

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...

The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.

The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3

Page Count: 24

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014

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FAMILIES BELONG

A joyful celebration.

Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.

The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.

A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop

Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020

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