A funny, enjoyable fairy tale and hygiene guide.
Kids learn about the Tooth Fairy, Prince Plaque, and brave Sir Brushalot in Wilms’ picture book.
When Nicholas isn’t sure about giving up his baby tooth for the Tooth Fairy, his mother tells him and his two siblings the story of Pearly White City, home of the Tooth Fairy and the Tooth-Making Factory. There, citizens create grown-up teeth that grow into the holes that baby teeth leave behind. The city’s greatest enemy is Prince Plaque, whose evil wizards tempt children with sugar potions. He and his Tartar Troopers attack the city three times daily only to be foiled by Sir Brushalot, the Tooth Fairy’s brother and the leader of the Knights of Floss. At story’s end, the children brush and floss to fight Prince Plaque. The ongoing battle between plaque and brushing has never been so much fun, and Wilms’ characters make delightful additions to the traditional Tooth Fairy legend. The main characters in Starikova-Abud’s (I’m Awesome Because, 2014) bright illustrations all appear to be white, but the smiling people of Pearly White City are more diverse; young readers will gravitate toward the colorful images and charming cast. (The book may be purchased as part of a kit that contains toothbrushes and a plush doll of Den-Tist, Sir Brushalot’s horse.)
A funny, enjoyable fairy tale and hygiene guide.Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5255-0643-7
Page Count: 44
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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