by Lauren Child & illustrated by Lauren Child ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2001
Child demonstrates that her first Clarice Bean book was no fluke: Here again she produces a hip, brash Clarice, pitch-perfect and heart-winning. When both her mother and father are called away from home—Dad on some tedious business trip, but her mother on a much more interesting errand of mercy to her policeman brother who has slipped on a donut and broken both his legs—it is left to Uncle Ted the firefighter to keep things from flying apart at Clarice's house. While the action revolves around the disappearance of a guinea pig, Clarice is watching for her vacationing school class, and there are so many subplots and entr'actes that the story takes on the appearance of some really wild weather, like a hurricane. Mayhem reigns, but things finally return to earth, mostly in one piece. It is truly impressive how Child can create an entire personality for one of Clarice's siblings with a tossed off line—as for Clarice's older brother: "Make sure Kurt sees daylight at least once every 24 hours"—while the rest of her writing has just as much brio and dash. And her artwork couldn't be more appropriate: a barely contained swarm of collage and typefaces, bits of dialogue roaming the page, and the personification of Clarice's view of her world in the portraits of her family. Something special. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7636-1373-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
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by Hena Khan ; illustrated by Wastana Haikal ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 19, 2022
A charming contemporary story with a classic feel.
A 10 ¾-year-old girl weathers changes in her social circle—and her sense of self.
Dubbed “Queen of the Neighborhood” by beloved neighbor Mr. Chapman, who has sadly left Maryland for balmy Florida, Zara is apprehensive when a family with two kids moves into his house, potentially upsetting the delicate social balance. Readers familiar with Khan’s Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream books, set a few years after this series opener, will recognize the bustling Pakistani American Muslim household. Assertive, organized Zara and rambunctious 7-year-old Zayd live with their Mama and Baba; the siblings’ grandparents and uncle are integral parts of their daily lives. Zara and Zayd enjoy playing outside with their friends—Black sisters Jade and Gloria, White Alan, and Chinese American Melvin. Mr. Chapman always said that Zara knew how to “rule with grace and fairness,” but new arrivals Naomi and Michael, Jewish kids who are eager to engage socially, put this to the test. When Jamal Mamoo, Mama’s brother, brings over his Guinness World Records book, Zara decides that becoming a world-record holder is the boost her social status needs. Her humorous (and futile) attempts to make her mark ultimately lead her to being a more patient and understanding big sister and more flexible and supportive companion to friends old and new. Strong pacing, fluid prose, engaging hijinks, and heartwarming scenes of family life and outdoor play are complemented by expressive illustrations.
A charming contemporary story with a classic feel. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: April 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-9759-7
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
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PERSPECTIVES
by Kevin Sherry ; illustrated by Kevin Sherry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 30, 2014
Good-hearted fun—great for fans of Kit Feeny and Babymouse.
It’s a Bigfeet family reunion!
Everyone’s favorite frosty, furry cryptid, the yeti, actually has a name: Blizz Richards. From his supersecret HQ in Nepal he keeps in touch with his fellow cryptids, all of whom have sworn an oath to keep themselves hidden. That’s not always easy, especially when there are cryptozoologists, like the nasty (but bumbling) George Vanquist, who are always trying to expose the secretive creatures. Vanquist got a picture of Blizz’s cousin Brian near his home in British Columbia, causing the mortified Brian to disappear entirely. When Blizz receives an invitation to a Bigfeet family reunion in Canada, he calls his buddies Alexander (one of Santa’s elves), Gunthar (a goblin) and Frank the Arctic fox to help him get ready. When they arrive in Canada, Brian is still nowhere to be seen. Can Blizz and his skunk ape and other sasquatch cousins find Brian, have the reunion and evade Vanquist? If anyone can, the Bigfeet clan can. Illustrator Sherry’s first volume in the Yeti Files is a fast and funny graphic-prose tale full of labeled pictures and comic-style panels. Those just starting chapter books may have some trouble with a few big words, but they’ll enjoy the big friendly monsters and immediately ask for the next tale—which looks to be about the Loch Ness monster.
Good-hearted fun—great for fans of Kit Feeny and Babymouse. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-55617-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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