A clever take on teaching young readers about the justice system.
A bug and a slug appeal to the court to defend their right to marry in this Ruth Bader Ginsburg–inspired picture book.
Celebrations of the work of Ruth Bader Ginsburg seldom involve insects, but the late Supreme Court Justice’s presence as Ruth Bader Ladybug shows just how far her influence reached. Klazkin’s debut picture book opens with a loving couple: Barney the bug, a grasshopper with a ponytail, mustache, and a ball cap, and Sweet Sally the slug, whose blond hair, pearl necklace, and long dress give her a roughly sluglike shape. The pair kiss and cuddle in public, earning them a look of dismay from a bug. “Bugs and slugs do not mix,” a police officer bug reminds them. But they can’t deny their love, so they challenge the law in a court presided over by Ruth Bader Ladybug. After a fierce debate, the law is struck down, and love wins the day. Klazkin’s rhyming couplets generally scan well, although the layout of the text on some pages makes the ends of phrases difficult to find. A glossary offers definitions for more challenging vocabulary words. Laubach’s odd cartoon illustrations are uneven in their mix of human and bug/slug features, although the illustrations of Ruth Bader Ladybug, depicted in a lace collar, are a charming way to honor the justice. Though there are few details about how the court works, the concept of a court ruling on a law is solidly introduced.
A clever take on teaching young readers about the justice system.Pub Date: July 16, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5255-7194-7
Page Count: 52
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Who wouldn’t love a book you can really laugh over?
Can reading a book ever not be fun?
The narrator, an orange aardvarklike creature, addresses readers directly, enticing them to pay close attention by announcing that this book contains sure-fire kid-favorite topics as homework, Brussels sprouts, the dentist, chore lists, raisins, and early bedtimes. Can’t miss with those page-turners. The narrator exudes feverish elation, desperate to arouse enthusiasm. Who wouldn’t savor those talking points—every child’s first choices in reading material, no? The speaker’s frenzied excitement is emphasized via creative typesetting: Some words are set in larger fonts, colored capitals, and exclamation points, and the frequent expression “Ahhhhhhhhh Yeahhhhhh!” suggests the idea “You can’t beat this for good times.” Of course, this is all played for raucous guffaws. Many children will catch on to and chuckle over the author’s obvious, sustained gag. Younger readers, however, won’t have experienced daunting homework and may not have visited a dentist yet, so they might miss the point that those things are considered fearsome; additionally, lots of kids do enjoy raisins. The real reason for loving this book is saved for last, though—and it’s a reassuring goodie. The acrylic paint, gouache, and pencil illustrations are a dynamic, comic hoot and certainly one fine reason to love this tale.
Who wouldn’t love a book you can really laugh over? (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780374388539
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Informative fun; engaging photography.
The changes from winter into spring—especially in the northeastern U.S.—are illustrated with numerous colored photographs.
After a title page sporting brilliant purple petals against wide green leaves, the first double-page spread shows the pale face of a child, wistfully looking out from a frost-framed, droplet-splattered window. The large-print text says: “Winter. / Waiting… / for nature / to wake up.” The pages that follow show the annual awakening of flora, fauna, and land in a temperate climate—probably the author’s native Massachusetts, hinted at by a wide maple tree adorned with sap-collection buckets. Excellent layout ensures that simple sentences are surrounded by striking photographs to support the basic science of seasonal change. Among the vibrant plants and baby animals are children whose appearances are diverse in skin, hair, and eye color but alike in their exuberance at being outdoors in the spring. The children are generally gardening or tending to animals in sunshine, with care taken to include one youngster reveling in spring rain. Plants and critters, both domestic and wild, are as vividly portrayed as the children. The text uses a well-chosen array of verbs, alliteration, and basic scientific vocabulary. The final double-page spread, showing three brown-skinned children romping after a kite against a bright blue-and-green landscape, is a perfect accompaniment to the gentle reminder that spring leads into summer.
Informative fun; engaging photography. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3752-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
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