A little sentimental but also a thoroughly satisfying solution to the issue of saying goodbye.
A favorite teacher prepares to leave her school in June, but her students don’t want to face that change.
Mrs. McBee resembles Ms. Frizzle: white; unusual clothes, including teal blue socks and two-toned loafers; curly red hair piled messily on her head; and original in her teaching style. Her students are every shade. Strong-willed, take-charge Jamaika, a black girl, quickly appoints herself teacher’s assistant when Mrs. McBee asks for volunteers to clean up the room. The other kids set to work packing, labeling, and carrying even though they are very sad. There is one holdout, shirking his tasks, as Jamaika keeps pointing out. William, a white boy, doesn’t help and even disappears, but there is a surprise in store. The custodian delivers a box addressed to Mrs. McBee. “A yellow hard hat popped up like a jack-in-the-box.” William appears with a sheaf of papers. He has created wonderful pictures of the year’s exciting activities and a card for everyone to sign. On that note, the teacher makes a speech and invites everyone for a “McBeehive hug” and ice cream cones, with swirls of chocolate and vanilla—like “sad and happy twisted together.” The deeply colored, acrylic-and-gouache full-bleed double-page spreads show lots of busy activity in a classroom that any child would like to join.
A little sentimental but also a thoroughly satisfying solution to the issue of saying goodbye. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-56145-944-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
A strong, accessible diary story for readers seeking an adorable animal tale.
Bub the anxious pug tackles snow days and new neighbors in his second outing.
Bub, acclaimed by some as “the cutest pug on the planet,” at first shares the enthusiasm owner Bella expresses about snow days even though he doesn’t know what they are. Then Duchess the cat (mildly antagonistic, in typical feline fashion) rains on Bub’s parade by pointing out that snow is water—and Bub’s no fan of rain or baths. After a comedic and disastrous first attempt, Bub learns how to properly dress for snow and enjoy it. The outdoor fun’s cut short by mysterious noises coming from the new neighbor, which frighten Bella into thinking there’s a monster. Bub puts on a Sherlock Holmes get-up to investigate but becomes afraid himself of the new neighbor’s large dog. Finally, Bella meets Jack, who’s been working on a tree fort, and his dog, Luna, who is enthusiastically friendly. The story ends on a positive note, as they all happily work together on the fort. The full-color cartoon illustrations, especially of Bub, are adorably expressive and certain to please the age group. The generous font and format—short, diary-entry paragraphs and speech-bubble conversations—create a quick pace. Bub’s stylized emoji bubbles return and are most hilarious when used to express his nervous flatulence. Bella and Jack both present white.
A strong, accessible diary story for readers seeking an adorable animal tale. (Fantasy. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53006-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
Inviting.
A story inspired by a real-life effort to achieve social inclusion.
Rhyming text enriched by energetic, cartoon-style illustrations follows the diverse students in Miss Mellon’s class at recess. Most of the children dive into play with peers, but some feel timid or excluded. Those at play are initially oblivious to the discomfort of the others, but then a child named Jake notices someone using a crutch and hanging back from play. “ ‘It’s my leg,’ said Gabe. ‘I can’t run in a cast, / so I never get picked, not even last.’ ” Affable Jake responds, “Come play with us anyway. There’s time to spare,” causing Gabe to reply, “Wait a minute …I’ll be right there.” This interaction creates a compassionate domino effect of inclusion, with Gabe reaching out to another kid on the sidelines, and so on. When the children (and, oddly, an elephant and dragon) go inside after recess they ask, “how could we say, / without using words, that we all want to play?” Miss Mellon says they need “a seat / to wait for a friend or a buddy to meet.” It’s unfortunate the solution—the eponymous buddy bench—originates with an adult rather than the compassionate children themselves, especially since the author’s note reveals that it was a first grader who proposed the first one in the United States, but the generosity on display is heartening.
Inviting. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-88448-697-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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