An enjoyable, nicely illustrated animal tale emphasizing individuality, nature’s beauty, and the importance of friendship.
A lonesome squirrel celebrates the offerings of the forest and seeks a pal in this picture book.
Olly, a red squirrel, is crestfallen when the gray squirrels reject him. They laugh and say, “You’re not like us. Go away!” When Olly returns to his oak tree home, he finds an acorn etched with lines that look like a smiling face. Olly feels grateful for this “reminder that he was not alone.” When he connects “as kindred spirits” with a human White boy walking through the forest, Olly takes the visitor’s presence as an omen: “The forest had sent” the boy “to heal his lonely heart.” Meanwhile, the gray squirrels feel ashamed for mistreating Olly. When Olly sees that they are unhappy, he shows them his acorn in hopes of helping them “feel better.” Olly’s “dark and sad” world has “revealed its true colors,” and he is thrilled to befriend the other squirrels. He acknowledges “how wonderful it is to be kind and share.” In Soares’ engaging story, Olly is a sweet and thoughtful protagonist. Readers will root for his happiness as he appreciates nature’s gifts and even nobly offers the other squirrels an opportunity to redeem themselves. Volgina’s lovely, realistic illustrations feature watercolor backdrops and lifelike details, including the squirrels’ fur. Color is incorporated skillfully. Scenes feature muted tones when Olly feels bleak. When he is cheerier, the images burst with red-tinged accents.
An enjoyable, nicely illustrated animal tale emphasizing individuality, nature’s beauty, and the importance of friendship.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-4-910769-01-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Honey Bunny Amigurumis Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.
A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.
Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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