Functional, if simplistic and context free.
Elmo gets ready for the first day of school by washing his hands and putting on his mask.
In straight-up, unvarnished behavior modeling, Elmo listens to his mother explain how to wash hands to the ABC song, heeds her warnings not to touch his face or his friends, and dons a mask just like “Super Grover,” since “heroes wear masks to keep others safe!” Pausing occasionally for deep breaths (“belly breathing,” as the “Tips for Grown-Ups” at the end put it) to calm his nerves, Elmo has a fun and busy day. All the socially distanced Sesame Street characters appear to be wearing masks with ear loops whether or not they have ears, and Kwiat gets around the problem of showing Elmo eating lunch without taking his mask off by simply posing him holding a juice box—which leaves young readers on their own to figure out what to do. Still, the sunny pictures mirror the narrative’s upbeat tone while showing how to maintain generous personal spaces while interacting with others and doing schoolwork in a classroom that seems to have both tables for individuals and large, open gathering spaces. The closing notes for caregivers rightly discourage trying to get children under 2 to mask up except under a doctor’s recommendation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.3-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 85% of actual size.)
Functional, if simplistic and context free. (Informational picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-3659-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
Totes adorbs.
A cuddly, squishy pug’s puggy-wuggy diary.
Equipped with both #pugunicorn and #pughotdog outfits, pug Baron von Bubbles (aka Bub) is the kind of dog that always dresses to impress. Bub also makes lots of memorable faces, such as the “Hey, you’re not the boss of me!” expression aimed at Duchess, the snooty pink house cat. Some of Bub’s favorite things include skateboarding, a favorite teddy, and eating peanut butter. Bub also loves Bella, who adopted Bub from a fair—it was “love at first sniff.” Together, Bub and Bella do a lot of arts and crafts. Their latest project: entering Bella’s school’s inventor challenge by making a super-duper awesome rocket. But, when the pesky neighborhood squirrel, Nutz, makes off with Bub’s bear, Bub accidentally ruins their project. How will they win the contest? More importantly, how will Bella ever forgive him? May’s cutesy, full-color cartoon art sets the tone for this pug-tastic romp for the new-to–chapter-books crowd. Emojilike faces accentuate Bub’s already expressive character design. Bub’s infectious first-person narration pushes the silly factor off the charts. In addition to creating the look and feel of a diary, the lined paper helps readers follow the eight-chapter story. Most pages have fewer than five sentences, often broken into smaller sections. Additional text appears in color-coded speech bubbles. Bella presents white.
Totes adorbs. (Fiction. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53003-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
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