The start of a charming new series, starring a perceptive, thoughtful, and exuberant youngster.
A determined 7-year-old searches for the perfect family dog.
After much asking, Penelope’s parents finally agree: Penelope (who wears an eye patch on her right eye under her glasses to help her “less-strong eye catch up”) can get a dog. Mom wants the most obedient candidate, while Dad hopes for a dog that fits his artistic vibe, but Penelope knows finding the right match takes time. Her best friend, Gus, encourages her to trust her instincts, yet as shelter visit follows shelter visit, Penelope begins to worry her perfect pup doesn’t exist. But Penelope’s fashionista grandmother, who lives with the family in their cozy apartment and whose funky eyewear rivals Penelope’s own, offers gentle words of wisdom: “You see things other people don’t see....When the time is right, you’ll see your dog, too.” With this chapter book, the first in a new series, Cotugno has created a thoughtful, well-rounded protagonist whose willingness to look carefully rather than choose impulsively feels refreshing. Penelope’s friendship with Gus is natural and warm, and Hodgson’s colorful illustrations bring tremendous personality to every character, human and canine alike. The shelter dogs display wonderfully expressive faces, from eager hopefulness to confused bewilderment, while Penelope’s determined concentration shines through. Penelope and her family present white, while Gus is brown-skinned.
The start of a charming new series, starring a perceptive, thoughtful, and exuberant youngster. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781419777950
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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