A sweet read-aloud about friendship, kindness, and equity.
Thanks to a gift from her aunt, Tiana now has two teddy bears, but when her best friend, Timothy, reveals that he’s never had one, Tiana gets a big idea.
Tiana, with light brown skin and Afro-textured pigtails, loves music and her favorite teddy bear, Bach. Tiana and Bach have been through a lot together, and poor Bach is missing an eye, has worn fur, and is oozing stuffing to show for it. One day, her mother surprises her with a new teddy bear, but Tiana is hesitant to replace her much-loved friend. The next day, she races to the playground to discuss the matter with Timothy, a White boy with glasses. Like Tiana, Timothy doesn’t see anything wrong with Bach, going on to tell Tiana that in his house, where money is scarce, “toys aren’t a pri-or-ity.” Tiana is sad for her friend and wants him to also have a teddy bear. She discusses the matter with her mother, who lovingly explains that every family is not the same and that some families are not able to afford the same things as others. After some thought, Tiana decides that she wants Timothy to have her new bear, and her mother agrees. Timothy loves his new bear, naming it Billie, “because he loves jazz,” and the four “all [play] together in perfect harmony.” Empathetic, playful illustrations complement this adorable story, which opens with a note from the authors about their organization, Baby2Baby. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet read-aloud about friendship, kindness, and equity. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-295717-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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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