A clever and attractive tale laced with a solid message on how to be a good friend.
Two busy friends eventually make time for each other.
Badger has so many berries to eat that there’s no time to play with friends. That’s convenient, since Badger’s friend Dog is too busy to play. But when Owl explains that Dog can’t play because he is searching for his lost ball, Badger has an existential crisis. Could Badger have seen the ball—and even eaten it by accident? (The ball was blue, like the berries.) What should Badger do? Owl answers with a string of unhelpful platitudes (“The storm will pass. The early bird catches the worm. We all make mistakes”) that could be the basis for follow-up storytime discussion. Badger is quick to accept possible responsibility for the lost ball, apologize to Dog, and offer an alternative plan. Friends don’t need a ball to play when they are together and there are plenty of berries to toss! And Dog is philosophical. Maybe his ball will turn up someday. Readers with a sharp eye will know where the lost ball is before the final reveal. This second installment in Lewis Jones and Sanders’ Blue Badger series features textured black-and-white depictions of animals set against colored backgrounds with minimal details. Blue highlights in the illustrations take over the pages as the narrative progresses. Brimming with visual humor, this simple story quietly models compassion and accountability for one’s actions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A clever and attractive tale laced with a solid message on how to be a good friend. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7112-6757-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Happy Yak
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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