As celebrity-authored books go, it could be worse.
Frothy fun from the Stella sisters, musicians and child stars of the TV series Nashville.
Sans music, the text doesn’t read any better than pop-song lyrics usually do: “Mom says, hurry, hurry come on / What could possibly be taking so long? // We say, Mama, we’re almost done / Getting all ready for some sister fun // In the waves, in the water / In the waves, in the water.” Björkman cranks the energy up, though, by portraying the recognizably drawn sibs exuberantly racing across a golden beach and diving into shallow waters positively crammed with brightly colored sea life and glittering treasure. Then, with a climactic view of a tub overflowing with suds, toys and a pair of hyped-up girls, comes the revelation that the beach was an imaginary one, the product of “two sisters who pretend a lot.” The song is available for an online listen on the publisher’s site. A photo album of the sisters on stage and elsewhere caps this souvenir of their first original release.
As celebrity-authored books go, it could be worse. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 28, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-235939-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
A high-interest venture for the early-reader audience.
Sand, sun, and surf provide a jovial backdrop to ninja Moby Shinobi’s latest adventures, presented here in this graphic format after five more-conventional early-reader outings.
Moby’s sidekick dog “Toby wants to play in the sun. / A beach visit would be fun!” Ninja Moby indulges Toby’s request, packing both beach and ninja items before setting out for the “Beach Bash!” Simple rhyming couplets and plenty of action follow as each brief chapter showcases a new problem for Moby. In “Sun and Sand,” his friends ask for assistance to place the final flag atop their impressive competitive sand castle only to be sabotaged by a snappy crab. In “Catch of the Day,” a fisherman on a pier recruits Moby to pull in a catch only to be entangled in lines and confusion. Moby later goes “To the Rescue” of a mariner whose sailboat is sinking. Following suit from previous books, Moby often creates a comical catastrophe before ushering in a creative solution. Bold illustrations layered with bright colors and textures are combined with oversized cartoon facial features. The combo heightens the lively plot, especially during the monosyllabic action sequences in each vignette: “TWIRL! / TOSS! / BOINK! / PLOP!” Light-skinned Moby may be equipped with and dressed in ninjutsu attire, but diversity is shown with a single brown-skinned friend and other background characters.
A high-interest venture for the early-reader audience. (Graphic early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-54752-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2019
This hardworking early reader is definitely worth checking out.
Waking from a nap, a child is shocked to find that Mommy, who had been cuddled with the child on the couch, is missing and sets off with orange tabby Max to try and find her.
The child picks up clues such as Mommy’s slippers, reading glasses, and scarf during the search. While Max finds Mommy right away, it takes the puzzled child a little longer. Readers will likely find Mommy as quickly as Max does, making them feel like they are in on a secret. A part of the appeal of this early reader geared toward rising first graders is that children are likely to relate to that sense of panic and concern the child experiences upon noticing that Mommy is gone—and the sense of relief when Mommy is finally found. The illustrations are crisp, page-filling, and colorful, and both the protagonist and Max have expressive faces. The use of white space makes the large, sans-serif type easy to follow and read. The text is patterned, aiding decoding: “Here are her slippers. / Here are her glasses.” Additionally, there are many different visual patterns incorporated into the illustrations, like stripes, polka dots, and checks, which readers can identify after the story to help reinforce early math skills. The same can be said for the many animals, colors, and shapes throughout the book as well. Mommy and child both present black.
This hardworking early reader is definitely worth checking out. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3935-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
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