Another romp full of zesty, true-life fun. (Fiction. 7-10)
Lively third-grader Dessert returns for more comic classroom and family fun as she learns to cope with jealousy in her third outing (Just Desserts, 2010, etc.).
Dessert certainly doesn’t lack confidence. She’s sure she’ll easily win the prize for the best invention in her classroom’s Thomas Edison unit. At home, however, things don’t look as promising. Her mom spends all of her time with her two baby brothers and barely notices Dessert, while her dad concentrates on managing the family’s restaurant, devoted entirely to fondue. As her despair at home increases, her certainty that she’ll win the classroom prize increases, especially when she privately judges her classmate’s inventions as obviously inferior to her own Vending Dresser, which would dispense a full month’s worth of complete daily outfits at the mere press of a button. If she doesn’t win, however, this fully realized, vivacious little character might learn some important lessons beyond those her teacher, Mrs. Howdy Doody, includes in the curriculum. When Dessert’s mom forgets to pick her up at school, some family lessons may make Dessert feel much better, especially as she gets to eat real dessert—first!—at the family restaurant. Davenier’s sparkling line drawings help young readers visualize the action.
Another romp full of zesty, true-life fun. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0360-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
Full of heart and depth.
Billy Miller’s birthday wish, for “something exciting [to] happen,” attunes him to all kinds of excitement in his life.
Just after he blows out his candles, an ambulance roars down the street to the house of an elderly neighbor, and Billy later worries that his wish precipitated Mr. Tooley’s death. Billy is White, with a mother, father, and younger sister, Sal, whose singular personality dominates nearly everything around her. Sal’s plush whale Drop Sisters have been joined by a more portable quintet of whale-shaped erasers, the Drip Sisters. As with the moment when Billy thinks about how the air changes somewhere from summer warmth to cool on the steps to the basement, Henkes’ focus on small transitions in growing up and seeing the world acknowledges and celebrates the complex emotional life of childhood. Billy’s year of being 8 begins like a leaf unfolding, slow and steady, fed by the sunlight of loving parents and comfortable life. Twenty brief chapters chronicle the several days in which Billy misses the presence of his artist father, away at an art camp, inadvertently learns that his mother (and father) had a life before him, and helps his mother manage Sal. The sweet surprise of the summer (adult readers may recognize the clues), revealed when Papa returns, promises new and interesting chapters in Billy’s life.
Full of heart and depth. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-304279-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
An exceptionally charming and well-executed romp that brings to life loving family relationships and an enticing fairy-tale...
Korean siblings have a rip-roaring adventure, tumbling into a magical land in search of their missing grandmother in this folklore-inspired graphic novel.
A girl and her little brother arrive at their halmoni’s home only to find her mysteriously absent and large paw prints covering the floor. Falling through the doors of a bedding closet into a fantastical wilderness inhabited by classic Korean folk-tale characters, the siblings work together—armed only with a backpack full of snacks, an enchanted back scratcher, a golden door handle, and their plucky wits—to find Halmoni. The children’s dialogue is written in English, while the utterances of the rabbit, goblins, tiger, and nine-tailed fox are given in the Korean alphabet,hangul. Romanized Korean also appears throughout, with an endnote providing translations as well as background about Korean folklore. Kim’s bright, expressive illustrations are a delight, effectively conveying triumph, indignation, surprise, consternation, and more. Hidden clues lurk, adding another layer of intrigue to the plot for observant readers to ponder. Cultural details are seamlessly integrated into the story, such as removing outside shoes to change into slippers indoors and gesturing “come here” in the East Asian manner. Those familiar with the culture will appreciate elements that are not explicitly explained, such as the little boy’s calling his sister “Noona,” the appropriate kinship term for an older female, making this an accessible, diverse title for a broad readership.
An exceptionally charming and well-executed romp that brings to life loving family relationships and an enticing fairy-tale world. (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-63217-077-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Sasquatch
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
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