Although the instinct to care for others is important to nurture, this seems like an unnecessary throwback to an earlier era.
It’s not only the patients, but the doctor and nurses who are dolls, too.
Dr. Pegs, a doll with Raggedy Ann–orange hair, a light brown face, and green scrubs, gets overwhelmed when too many patients arrive. There’s Portia, a pretty, brown porcelain doll with a cracked arm, and Scoop, a blond, pink-faced stuffed boy doll with a tummy ache. Then come Baby, a white doll whose talking mechanism is broken (“Instead of saying ‘Mommy,’ she says, ‘MOO!’ ”), and Teddy, a brown bear missing one eye. Dr. Pegs had one chore in mind: to sort the buttons, needed for emergencies. Now she’s terribly flustered and must ring the “special bell” for the Nesting Nurses. A set of nurses with diverse racial identities, resembling Russian wooden dolls, arrives and efficiently solves every toy’s problem, even sorting the pesky buttons. In fact, they do all the work, but Dr. Pegs centers herself when she says “I couldn’t have done it without you.” Collage and digital illustrations have a charming retro look with a palette that relies on red, green, yellow, and brown (and, interestingly, no black), and the text is cumulative in a satisfying way, but the message is mixed. Although the doctor is female and cheerfully thanks her female assistants, she still manages to come out on top. Couldn’t medical teamwork have been shown in a more enlightened way?
Although the instinct to care for others is important to nurture, this seems like an unnecessary throwback to an earlier era. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 5, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0121-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
A sweet, quiet book to help kids learn that as fast as feelings come, they can also go.
When Mum wakes her children, she finds that little Huffalots have replaced them.
Mornings are hard. The kids don’t want to get up, but they don’t want to stay in bed. They don’t want to get dressed, but they don’t want to stay in their nightclothes either. And without a doubt, “they don’t like each other.” There is a way to handle Huffalots, though, and it starts with breakfast. Slowly, with a bit of help from each other, the two little Huffalots become Huffalittles and eventually Lovealots. They play delightedly together and give each other flowers and feathers and hugs. But most importantly, they give “lovely cuddles.” By the end of the day, Mum has exhausted herself and has become a bit of a Huffalot herself. Can the children use what they learned today to help Mum find her inner Lovealot? A soft, pastel palette and attention to detail bring to life the children’s world, as they are the center of the story. The kids’ faces reflect their changing feelings, going from squinty scowls to smiles to broad grins, helping young readers to identify emotions. Readers will notice the children managing their emotions and helping each other to have a good day—an empowering sight. The book’s British origins show in cadence and some vocabulary choices. Family members appear White. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.25-by-19.5-inch double-page spreads viewed at 52% of actual size.)
A sweet, quiet book to help kids learn that as fast as feelings come, they can also go. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72841-579-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Andersen Press USA
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An often dreaded new experience gets a makeover.
A tiny pooch accompanies his owner to the hair salon in this Dutch and Belgian import.
Sam looks in the mirror and realizes her hair is getting very long. She can hardly see! It is time to get a haircut. Benny, her squat, mustachioed dog, happily follows. Pierre, the barber, has an elaborate, swirly mustache, in stark contrast to Benny’s straight whiskers. When Sam climbs into the barber chair and Pierre starts snipping, Benny gets scared! “ ‘Shhh, Benny,’ Sam says, ‘It’s all right. It doesn’t hurt when Pierre cuts my hair.’ ” Pierre believes the only way Benny will understand is if he gets a haircut too. Both Sam and Benny leave proudly with brand new styles (Benny, of course, with a swirly new ’stache). Readers take in the sights and sounds of a salon: bonnet hair dryers, the shampoo station, and the act of wearing a haircutting cape, all while learning along with Benny. Meijer adds levity to the illustrations with snippets of hair flying from speedy scissors and oversized curlers on well-coiffed customers. Everyone in the story appears White except one family waiting in the salon with darker skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.4-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 43.6% of actual size.)
An often dreaded new experience gets a makeover. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-60537-575-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
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