A joyful, community-centered ode to collective action.
People (and puppies) united will never be defeated.
It’s been six months since 11-year-old Sophie moved from Vermont (where she was “the only brown kid” in her school) to Boston. Now she has a new neighbor, Mr. O’Connor. Unfortunately, with some humorously unsubtle foreshadowing, Sophie’s dog Ollie Baba creates a bad first impression by pooping in his fastidiously kept yard. Though Mr. O’Connor, a wealthy older white man, is outwardly pleasant, it’s clear he has many gripes about the neighborhood. He weaponizes them in the form of an anonymous letter to the principal of Sophie’s school—which is at risk of being closed by a committee he leads. Although they’re angry, Principal Omland and the students admit that the kids do litter and are often rude to one another and their teachers. Of course, the letter doesn’t explore the myriad socioeconomic factors at play, but the kids and Sophie’s teacher Mrs. Najma get it. Instead of being defeated, they look for things to appreciate and mobilize to make improvements. Sophie’s street’s block party is already in the works—Sophie and her friend Juno are going to put on a dog circus. The party also offers an opportunity to join the school’s pancake breakfast to raise awareness and work together. Through thoughtful descriptions and creative dog analogies, Lobenstine synthesizes complex issues like gentrification, prejudice, and economic injustice into digestible, kid-friendly scenarios. Na’s illustrations add humor and context to this gently empowering read.
A joyful, community-centered ode to collective action. (photos) (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9781646146338
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face.
Four misunderstood villains endeavor to turn over a new leaf…or a new rap sheet in Blabey's frenzied romp.
As readers open the first page of this early chapter book, Mr. Wolf is right there to greet them, bemoaning his reputation. "Just because I've got BIG POINTY TEETH and RAZOR-SHARP CLAWS and I occasionally like to dress up like an OLD LADY, that doesn't mean… / … I'm a BAD GUY." To prove this very fact, Mr. Wolf enlists three equally slandered friends into the Good Guys Club: Mr. Snake (aka the Chicken Swallower), Mr. Piranha (aka the Butt Biter), and Mr. Shark (aka Jaws). After some convincing from Mr. Wolf, the foursome sets off determined to un-smirch their names (and reluctantly curbing their appetites). Although these predators find that not everyone is ready to be at the receiving end of their helpful efforts, they use all their Bad Guy know-how to manage a few hilarious good deeds. Blabey has hit the proverbial nail on the head, kissed it full on the mouth, and handed it a stick of Acme dynamite. With illustrations that startle in their manic comedy and deadpan direct address and with a narrative that follows four endearingly sardonic characters trying to push past (sometimes successfully) their fear-causing natures, this book instantly joins the classic ranks of Captain Underpants and The Stinky Cheese Man.
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face. (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-91240-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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