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LAUNDRY DAY

Name: LAUNDRY DAY
Author: Jessixa Bagley
ISBN: 978-1-62672-317-7

by Jessixa Bagley ; illustrated by Jessixa Bagley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 7, 2017

This tale of badger mischief is excellent both as a read-aloud and as a book for beginning readers.

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The energetic badger boys, Tic and Tac, agree to hang laundry while Ma Badger goes to market—and Ma receives a shock when she returns.

If the funny cover art does not draw in readers, the opening page will do the trick. The two young badgers, identical but for their differently colored striped shirts, lie spread-eagled on the grass, expressing a sentiment often heard from children in the middle of a day at home. “ ‘I’m bored,’ said Tic. ‘Me too,’ said Tac.” As the tale progresses, Ma Badger, in her gingham dress and white apron, suggests activities, all of which are declined by the jaded youngsters. The art is charming and hilarious, reminiscent at times of both Esphyr Slobodkina and Barbara McClintock. Ma Badger uses her washtub and old-fashioned hand-wringer while the children race around and get underfoot. Ma Badger patiently teaches her progeny how to properly hang wet laundry on the clothesline that extends from tree to tree. Readers will laugh as they learn how Tic and Tac further entertain themselves—and how their oh-so-practical mother deals with the situation. A pretty, outdoor, watercolor landscape provides background for the comically rendered badgers, the “boys” always active, Ma calmly laboring. The text is accessible and expansive fun for young readers: “They pilfered the pots. They pirated pillows.”

This tale of badger mischief is excellent both as a read-aloud and as a book for beginning readers. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-62672-317-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook

Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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JAZZY THE WITCH IN FRIEND FIASCO
by Jessixa Bagley ; illustrated by Jessixa Bagley

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DEAR JACKIE
by Jessixa Bagley ; illustrated by Aaron Bagley

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JAZZY THE WITCH IN BROOM DOOM
by Jessixa Bagley ; illustrated by Jessixa Bagley

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)