Ladybug Girl fans will find this offering satisfying, and its gentle didacticism goes down easy.
Ladybug Girl—aka Lulu—is so excited about her best friend’s new toy that she temporarily forgets the joys of friendship.
At the end of a double-page spread in which Lulu enthuses to her mother about the amazing things a child can do with Finny’s “Rolly-Roo” toy, this passage ensues: “ ‘I can’t wait to play with it!’ ‘You mean play with Finny, right?’ says Mama. ‘Yes, of course that’s what I mean,’ Lulu mumbles.” Here, Mama’s expression is deflated, while Lulu has a wary sideways glance. Similar challenges to the text from the illustrations occur throughout and provide the youngest readers a chance to give a giggle and a knowing nod. As expected, Lulu pays much more attention to the Rolly-Roo than to her best friend, and then an age-appropriate crisis occurs. The obvious lesson becomes fun when Finny as Grasshopper Girl and Lulu as Ladybug Girl eventually use their expertise to fix the problem, then use their imaginations to have a rollicking good time together. The artwork contains ethnic diversity, active girls, an endearing basset hound, and plenty of eye-catching indoor and outdoor backgrounds. The text is large, bold, and easy to read. The language has been carefully crafted so that most of the conversations provide models for children just beginning to navigate the sticky wicket of socializing.
Ladybug Girl fans will find this offering satisfying, and its gentle didacticism goes down easy. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-80374-0303
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones.
What’s better than a cheerleading chicken?
Are you ever blue, unsure, tired, or overworked? Do you ever feel lost or overwhelmed? This uplifting book, expressed in delightful, jaunty verse, explains how to lift your spirits pronto: What you need is a booster chicken telling you’re doing great even when you’re not so confident, as when you’re learning or practicing a new skill, for instance. Your feathered champion will be right there, encouraging you all the way, with a loud “WOO HOO!” that’ll keep you going and remove any doubt you’re super terrific. But what if your cheerful chick errs and doesn’t do what it set out to do? Don’t worry—your cheery chicken just needs a reminder that everyone makes mistakes. That alone is a pep talk, enhanced by the wisdom that making mistakes allows everyone to learn and demonstrate they did their best. So forgive yourself, chickens! But the best thing is…instead of relying on someone else—like a chicken—to strengthen your ego, say a generous daily “WOO HOO!” to yourself. This riotous book hits all the right notes and does so succinctly and hilariously. The energetic, comical illustrations, in Boynton’s signature style, will elicit giggles and go far to make the book’s important point. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-48679-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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