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I REALLY WANT TO BE FIRST!

A REALLY BIRD STORY

From the Really Bird Stories series , Vol. 1

A chipper reminder that being a leader is about more than being first—it requires consideration and creative problem-solving.

Is Really Bird really the leader here?

Most kids love to be first, but can they be good leaders? This funny, upbeat series opener addresses that question. Really Bird, who lives in a city park and has two best friends, Cat and Pup, is never just happy, sad, or thirsty—rather, they are “REALLY happy,” “REALLY sad,” or “REALLY thirsty.” Today, Really Bird is REALLY tired of being last, so Cat and Pup offer to let their friend lead. And Really Bird does, first up a hill and then up a tree. While Pup manages to scramble to the tree’s canopy, comically exaggerated illustrations show that she is far from comfortable there. Really Bird suggests a solution, and Cat finds a way to help Pup reach the ground. On the ground, an argument promptly ensues about who got to the ground first. Pup quickly ends the bickering, and Really Bird is delighted to lead the trio home. The more detailed illustrations that open the book anchor the friends in the park, but most of the art features brightly colored characters against an uncluttered background, with color-coded speech bubbles of just a few words. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A chipper reminder that being a leader is about more than being first—it requires consideration and creative problem-solving. (discussion questions) (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: April 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-63655-018-3

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Red Comet Press

Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022

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THE WONKY DONKEY

Hee haw.

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The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.

In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.

Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: May 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1

Page Count: 26

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018

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PUG BLASTS OFF

From the Diary of a Pug series , Vol. 1

Totes adorbs.

A cuddly, squishy pug’s puggy-wuggy diary.

Equipped with both #pugunicorn and #pughotdog outfits, pug Baron von Bubbles (aka Bub) is the kind of dog that always dresses to impress. Bub also makes lots of memorable faces, such as the “Hey, you’re not the boss of me!” expression aimed at Duchess, the snooty pink house cat. Some of Bub’s favorite things include skateboarding, a favorite teddy, and eating peanut butter. Bub also loves Bella, who adopted Bub from a fair—it was “love at first sniff.” Together, Bub and Bella do a lot of arts and crafts. Their latest project: entering Bella’s school’s inventor challenge by making a super-duper awesome rocket. But, when the pesky neighborhood squirrel, Nutz, makes off with Bub’s bear, Bub accidentally ruins their project. How will they win the contest? More importantly, how will Bella ever forgive him? May’s cutesy, full-color cartoon art sets the tone for this pug-tastic romp for the new-to–chapter-books crowd. Emojilike faces accentuate Bub’s already expressive character design. Bub’s infectious first-person narration pushes the silly factor off the charts. In addition to creating the look and feel of a diary, the lined paper helps readers follow the eight-chapter story. Most pages have fewer than five sentences, often broken into smaller sections. Additional text appears in color-coded speech bubbles. Bella presents white.

Totes adorbs. (Fiction. 5-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-338-53003-2

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019

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