by Laurie Friedman & illustrated by Teresa Murfin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2011
Unfortunately, his negatively-phrased list of rules are full of don’ts. Among them: Don't be late or impolite, don’t forget...
Young Percy Isaac Gifford offers 10 rules for students to follow so that an “A+” will be guaranteed.
Unfortunately, his negatively-phrased list of rules are full of don’ts. Among them: Don't be late or impolite, don’t forget to have fun, don’t contradict your teacher or take forever to say something, don’t cry often or without a reason and “when in doubt, don’t.” Repeated readings of all these don'ts, especially when accompanied by all of Percy’s lists of specific things not to do, may well permanently fix the “naughty” behaviors in readers’ minds. In addition, Percy’s rules are lacking in the why department, never connecting how following his rules will lead to good grades…nor does he ever suggest that studying and doing homework are a good route to that end, too. The rhyming verse, while rollicking, is sometimes forced, resulting in clunky phrasing: “An important rule to follow: / Don’t forget to use your brain. / That means leave your plans at home / That qualify as insane!” Murfin’s artwork employs collaged papers and muted tones for a retro feel. Her rosy-cheeked children clearly illustrate each don’t, along with some others that aren’t spelled out in the text.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-6070-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2011
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by Henry Winkler ; Lin Oliver ; illustrated by Scott Garrett ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 14, 2014
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda.
Hank Zipzer, poster boy for dyslexic middle graders everywhere, stars in a new prequel series highlighting second-grade trials and triumphs.
Hank’s hopes of playing Aqua Fly, a comic-book character, in the upcoming class play founder when, despite plenty of coaching and preparation, he freezes up during tryouts. He is not particularly comforted when his sympathetic teacher adds a nonspeaking role as a bookmark to the play just for him. Following the pattern laid down in his previous appearances as an older child, he gets plenty of help and support from understanding friends (including Ashley Wong, a new apartment-house neighbor). He even manages to turn lemons into lemonade with a quick bit of improv when Nick “the Tick” McKelty, the sneering classmate who took his preferred role, blanks on his lines during the performance. As the aforementioned bully not only chokes in the clutch and gets a demeaning nickname, but is fat, boastful and eats like a pig, the authors’ sensitivity is rather one-sided. Still, Hank has a winning way of bouncing back from adversity, and like the frequent black-and-white line-and-wash drawings, the typeface is designed with easy legibility in mind.
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48239-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
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by Anne-Sophie Baumann ; illustrated by Didier Balicevic ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2017
There’s lots to see and do in this big city.
A set of panoramic views of the urban environment: inside and out, above and belowground, at street level and high overhead.
Thanks to many flaps, pull tabs, spinners, and sliders, viewers can take peeks into stores and apartments, see foliage change through the seasons in a park, operate elevators, make buildings rise and come down, visit museums and municipal offices, take in a film, join a children’s parade, marvel as Christmas decorations go up—even look in on a wedding and a funeral. Balicevic populates each elevated cartoon view with dozens of tiny but individualized residents diverse in age, skin tone, hair color and style, dress, and occupation. He also adds such contemporary touches as an electrical charging station for cars, surveillance cameras, smartphones, and fiber optic cables. Moreover, many flaps conceal diagrammatic views of infrastructure elements like water treatment facilities and sources of electrical power or how products ranging from plate glass and paper to bread, cheese, and T-shirts are manufactured (realistically, none of the workers in the last are white). Baumann’s commentary is largely dispensable, but she does worthily observe on the big final pop-up spread that cities are always changing—often, nowadays, becoming more environmentally friendly.
There’s lots to see and do in this big city. (Informational novelty. 6-9)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 979-1-02760-079-3
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
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