A delightful friendship story that children can relate to, as either Pammy or Wyatt.
Sharing is tough, but taking turns can be even tougher.
Pammy and Wyatt are besties and hang out every day. However, Pammy seems to be having all the fun. “Wyatt and I love parades. I’m always the queen,” says Pammy as Wyatt pulls her along in a red wagon. When Wyatt wants a turn, Pammy moves on to the swing. “Wyatt loves to push me,” says Pammy as she goes higher and higher. Wyatt pleads for a push too, but Pammy decides to play school instead. “Wyatt likes it when I’m the teacher.” Or so she thinks. Wyatt is tired of playing by Pammy’s rules and protests, “Now it’s MY TURN to be the teacher!” When Pammy still refuses to give him a turn, Wyatt stomps off. “I’m not playing with you anymore!” Pammy ends up playing with her brother, Eddie, who teaches her a new game with one simple rule: “You shoot baskets until you miss one.” After Eddie shoots 67 straight baskets, Pammy has had enough. Then she realizes “it’s no fun to never get a turn” and makes things right with Wyatt. Rankin’s choice of two different anthropomorphic animals, a lamb for Pammy and a goat for Wyatt, is a subtle way to depict diversity. Rankin brings her expressive characters to life in believable scenarios and detailed mixed-media illustrations.
A delightful friendship story that children can relate to, as either Pammy or Wyatt. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-59990-174-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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