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MAMA LION WINS THE RACE

Name: MAMA LION WINS THE RACE
Author: Jon J Muth
ISBN: 978-0-545-85282-1

by Jon J Muth ; illustrated by Jon J Muth ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2017

Delightful and sweet, with a dose of whimsy and the special appeal of fast cars and competition.

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In this departure for Muth from his Zen books about Stillwater the panda, several stuffed animals speed across a glorious European countryside in classic race cars—and on one impressive motorcycle—and, with some strategic help from Mama Lion, everyone wins.

The race begins in a town square with gathered crowds, mostly stuffed toys with cameo appearances by Clifford the Big Red Dog and Mo Willems’ ambitious Pigeon. “The world is beautiful,” thinks Mama Lion as Tigey drives their red car zooming over green, poplar-studded hills. “The world is friendly.” Muth’s colors in gouache and watercolor pencil richly convey the blue sky of summer, the sleek vehicles with their shiny chrome accents, and the individual characters in the ensemble of stuffed toys. There’s a charming, playful nod to “The Tortoise and the Hare” and some comical antics by a trio of Knitted Monkeys. When Tigey and Mama Lion lose a wheel in a sudden stop, the rotund Flying Pandini brother and sister come to their aid—but the race is still close. The joy of speed, the excitement of obstacles, the reassurance of friendship and assistance, and the satisfaction of having the race turn out just the right way are nicely in proportion. The generous trim size and edge-to-edge art support the exuberant presentation.

Delightful and sweet, with a dose of whimsy and the special appeal of fast cars and competition. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: July 25, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-545-85282-1

Page Count: 56

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
STILLWATER AND KOO SAVE THE WORLD
by Jon J Muth ; illustrated by Jon J Muth

- BOOK REVIEW
ADDY'S CUP OF SUGAR
by Jon J Muth ; illustrated by Jon J Muth

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SEVENTH VOYAGE
by Stanislaw Lem ; illustrated by Jon J Muth ; translated by Michael Kandel

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BUDDY'S NEW BUDDY

From the Growing With Buddy series , Vol. 3

by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.

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How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?

Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SORRY, GROWN-UPS, YOU CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL!
by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers

- BOOK REVIEW
BUDDY'S BEDTIME BATTERY
by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)