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A PIGLET CALLED TRUFFLE

Name: A PIGLET CALLED TRUFFLE
Author: Helen Peters
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1024-8

From the Jasmine Green Rescues series , Vol. 1

by Helen Peters ; illustrated by Ellie Snowdon ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020

This fast-paced series outing has a spunky, likable heroine but suffers from authenticity issues.

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Plucky Jasmine Green will do anything to save a helpless animal.

Jasmine is the daughter of a veterinarian mother and farmer father. Jasmine loves the animals on Oak Tree Farm, where the family lives, and dreams of growing up and starting her own animal-rescue center. In this series opener, Jasmine accompanies her mother on a medical visit to a neighboring farm, where she discovers a baby pig on the verge of death. The runt of the litter, the piglet is so small and weak that the farmer doesn’t think she’s worth rescuing. Outraged, Jasmine sneaks the piglet out in her coat, determined to give Truffle a chance at life. In the simultaneously publishing sequel, A Duckling Called Button, Jasmine rescues orphaned eggs. Jasmine’s sparkling personality, no-nonsense resourcefulness, and fiery commitment to wildlife make her a compelling heroine. The well-paced plot intertwined with unusual facts about animals and farms makes for a page-turning read. Jasmine’s biracial background, however, is slightly puzzling. Her father seems to be white, and her mother’s identity is implied by a curious combination of a Muslim given name (Nadia) and Sikh surname (Singh), making her identity difficult to pin down. Aside from Jasmine’s complexion and a passing reference to kati rolls, the South Asian part of her identity is never explored.

This fast-paced series outing has a spunky, likable heroine but suffers from authenticity issues. (Fiction. 7-10)

Pub Date: March 17, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-5362-1024-8

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
A FOAL CALLED STORM
by Helen Peters ; illustrated by Ellie Snowdon

- BOOK REVIEW
A COLLIE CALLED SKY
by Helen Peters ; illustrated by Ellie Snowdon

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A SNOW DAY FOR PLUM!

by Matt Phelan ; illustrated by Matt Phelan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 7, 2023

Lively fun with animal friends.

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Has Plum’s pep deserted him?

Several animals from the Athensville Zoo are on their way to visit an elementary school. Overconfident Itch the ningbing (an Australian marsupial), unaware that zookeeper Lizzie will be doing all the talking, looks forward to “lecturing eager young minds.” Plum, the usually chipper peacock, on the other hand, is anxious—maybe the schoolchildren won’t like him or he’ll get lost. So when they arrive at the school to find the students have been sent home due to a blizzard, Plum is relieved. The animals are left in a school gym for the night until three self-important class mice free them. Itch heads for the library to meet the learned turtle, but Plum reluctantly explores with his friends. When his anxiety peaks, they reassure him, and when the mice reject Meg, another peacock, as “borrrring” and uncool, they buoy her as well before everyone comes together to save Itch, who finds himself outside and stranded in a snowdrift. Unlike Leave It to Plum (2022), this is not a mystery, and the relationship focus shifts from Lizzie to the rodents, but the pace is brisk, and sequel seekers will be pleased to revisit familiar characters (if dismayed that Itch’s longing for knowledge leads to his downfall). In Phelan’s engaging grayscale pen-and-wash illustrations, Lizzie has short curly hair; text and art cue her as Latine.

Lively fun with animal friends. (how to draw Plum) (Chapter book. 7-10)

Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-06-307920-5

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BIG CHANGES FOR PLUM!
by Matt Phelan ; illustrated by Matt Phelan

- BOOK REVIEW
TROUBLE FINDS PLUM!
by Matt Phelan ; illustrated by Matt Phelan

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SHEEP, THE ROOSTER, AND THE DUCK
by Matt Phelan ; illustrated by Matt Phelan

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CODY HARMON, KING OF PETS

From the Franklin School Friends series

by Claudia Mills ; illustrated by Rob Shepperson ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2016

Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading.

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When Franklin School principal Mr. Boone announces a pet-show fundraiser, white third-grader Cody—whose lack of skill and interest in academics is matched by keen enthusiasm for and knowledge of animals—discovers his time to shine.

As with other books in this series, the children and adults are believable and well-rounded. Even the dialogue is natural—no small feat for a text easily accessible to intermediate readers. Character growth occurs, organically and believably. Students occasionally, humorously, show annoyance with teachers: “He made mad squinty eyes at Mrs. Molina, which fortunately she didn’t see.” Readers will be kept entertained by Cody’s various problems and the eventual solutions. His problems include needing to raise $10 to enter one of his nine pets in the show (he really wants to enter all of them), his troublesome dog Angus—“a dog who ate homework—actually, who ate everything and then threw up afterward”—struggles with homework, and grappling with his best friend’s apparently uncaring behavior toward a squirrel. Serious values and issues are explored with a light touch. The cheery pencil illustrations show the school’s racially diverse population as well as the memorable image of Mr. Boone wearing an elephant costume. A minor oddity: why does a child so immersed in animal facts call his male chicken a rooster but his female chickens chickens?

Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading. (Fiction. 7-10)