Funny, subtly empowering, and sweet.
An enthusiastic host awaits an invited guest for tea and hopes that everything will be as perfect as the guest herself is.
Abby has much to prepare for her 3 o’clock tea party with Phoebe Dupree, a “perfect” girl who is “brilliant” at science, art, and singing. Abby cleans her dog, Louie, and instructs him on the “perfect” behavior required during Phoebe’s visit. The table is set, the delicate treats are arranged, the stuffed guests are seated, and the guest of honor arrives! Phoebe sits down “oh-so-politely,” and Abby goes to get the tray of treats. But the tray is very heavy…what if the perfect tea becomes a perfect mess? Will the new friendship survive? Abby’s excitement for her upcoming tea and her high-stakes feelings about impressing her new friend are fun and accessible. The text is a well-balanced representation of Abby’s voice in rhyming quartets that glide effortlessly for a smooth read-aloud. The page turns are expertly designed to maximize suspense and drama. Marley’s innocent illustrations combine pink and pearls with wet dogs and cargo pants for a delightful celebration of a broad range of girlhood expressions and experiences. Brown-skinned, casually dressed Phoebe’s large, curly Afro joyfully takes up space on the page while anxious, pale-skinned Abby with her high blonde bun and below-the-knee dress yearns to impress. But who needs perfect when one can have fun?
Funny, subtly empowering, and sweet. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0483-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes.
Oscar winner McConaughey offers intriguing life observations.
The series of pithy, wry comments, each starting with the phrase “Just because,” makes clear that each of us is a mass of contradictions: “Just because we’re friends, / doesn’t mean you can’t burn me. / Just because I’m stubborn, / doesn’t mean that you can’t turn me.” Witty, digitally rendered vignettes portray youngsters diverse in terms of race and ability (occasionally with pets looking on) dealing with everything from friendship drama to a nerve-wracking footrace. “Just because I’m dirty, / doesn’t mean I can’t get clean” is paired with an image of a youngster taking a bath while another character (possibly an older sibling) sits nearby, smiling. “Just because you’re nice, / doesn’t mean you can’t get mean” depicts the older one berating the younger one for tracking mud into the house. The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it. Perhaps, after studying the illustrations and gaining further insight into the comments, kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. / Because every day is a gift, / each one a new surprise. BELIEVE IT.” As a follow-up, readers should be encouraged to make their own suggestions to complete the titular phrase. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593622032
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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