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Claire on Lafayette Square

The message of friendship trumping serious challenges comes through clearly despite sometimes–cringe-worthy rhymes.

In an awkwardly rhyming picture book about helping a friend overcome an illness, debut author Chouteau introduces Claire, a fun-loving, caring redhead in the diverse neighborhood of Lafayette Square, St. Louis.

Claire lives on the top floor of a town house in Lafayette Square. She loves her room because, as she makes her way to the top, she can stop and check in on all her family members: her mother, father, brother, sister and sporty grandmother. Claire and her friends share interests in reading, swimming, pets and especially soccer. Claire is planning a soccer party for her birthday, but when her friend Jane gets very ill two weeks before the party, Claire and her friends have trouble understanding the illness. All they know is that they miss their friend, so Claire works with her mother, a doctor, to organize a much quieter, nonsoccer party that they can take to Jane. Depenthal’s illustrations show a young girl bursting with personality; her parents and grandmother are also well-depicted to reveal more about their characters than the words share. Unfortunately, none of the other characters are well-developed, and though Claire is one of four friends of different ethnicities, only the two white girls have names; nothing else is revealed about the friends beyond Jane’s illness and the group’s love of soccer. The rhyming text can be forced: “Claire is a little friend / with whom a Saturday you’d like to spend. / She has a family of different ages / with members going thru various developmental stages.” Claire’s age is also rather ambiguous; though she looks 10 to 12 in the illustrations, her brother and sister let her win at all their games so she won’t throw a fit; yet she shows mature empathy when trying to help her sick friend.

The message of friendship trumping serious challenges comes through clearly despite sometimes–cringe-worthy rhymes.

Pub Date: June 18, 2014

ISBN: 978-1497335714

Page Count: 32

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2014

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MARSHALL THE MIRACLE DOG

An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.

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Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.

Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.

An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0615666259

Page Count: 40

Publisher: The Marshall Movement

Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012

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THE GIRLS OF OAK COURT

DEATH AT WHITFORD POND

Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.

Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.

Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”

Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 172

Publisher: iUniverse

Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012

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