A fun story that promotes vocabulary development and dictionary use.
Calvin loves words and takes his dictionary with him everywhere he goes in order to ensure that he knows the right word to describe every situation—especially those involving his brother.
When he wakes up in the morning, Calvin brings the dictionary to the breakfast table, where he showers it with milk that shoots out of his nose after his brother tells a joke. He even reads it in class instead of paying attention to the teacher. Throughout the day, Calvin browses his dictionary in search of the perfect word and finds words like mayhem, subterfuge, and pulverize. While each word makes him think about his brother, none seems to be the perfect fit. After a long day, Calvin lands on his word, slips out of bed for a glass of water, and tiptoes to his brother’s room to repay him for the jokes. This lighthearted tale of two brothers who enjoy reading will make a wise choice for classroom lessons about using a dictionary and thesaurus. The words that Calvin looks up are set in brightly colored boldface type, and while they are not actively defined in context, their meanings are clear from the narrative. (Definitions and phonetic pronunciations are scrawled on the endpapers, as if on a chalkboard.) The dictionary itself narrates, but it is not depicted with any anthropomorphic features (i.e. a face or arms) or behaviors (i.e. walking), though it does mention its bent spine and riffling its own pages. Calvin and his family have light-brown skin and black hair. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75% of actual size.)
A fun story that promotes vocabulary development and dictionary use. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-88448-822-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers.
Two little rats decide to show the world how tough they are, with unpredictable results.
Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to be just like their single dad, Big Lou: tough! They know that “tough” means doing mean things to other animals, like stealing Chad Badgerton’s hat. Chad Badgerton is a big badger, so taking that hat from him proves that Louie and Ralphie are just as tough as they want to be. However, it turns out that Louie and Ralphie have just done a good deed instead of a bad one: Chad Badgerton had taken that hat from little Tiny Crawley, a mouse, so when Tiny reclaims it, they are celebrated for goodness rather than toughness. Sadly, every attempt Louie and Ralphie make at doing mean things somehow turns nice. What’s a little boy rat supposed to do to be tough? Plus, they worry about what their dad will say when he finds out how good they’ve been. But wait! Maybe their dad has some other ideas? LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books. Each of the first six chapters features a new, failed attempt by Louie and Ralphie to be mean, and the final, seventh chapter resolves everything nicely. The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers’ sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos’ “unwelcome” mat.
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7636-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones.
Hill and Bobbiesi send a humungous hug from grandmothers to their granddaughters everywhere.
Delicate cartoon art adds details to the rhyming text showing multigenerational commonalities. “You and I are alike in such wonderful ways. / You will see more and more as you grow” (as grandmother and granddaughter enjoy the backyard together); “I wobbled uncertainly just as you did / whenever I tried something new” (as a toddler takes first steps); “And if a bad dream woke me up in the night, / I snuggled up with my lovey too” (grandmother kisses granddaughter, who clutches a plush narwhal). Grandmother-granddaughter pairs share everyday joys like eating ice cream, dancing “in the rain,” and making “up silly games.” Although some activities skew stereotypically feminine (baking, yoga), a grandmother helps with a quintessential volcano experiment (this pair presents black, adding valuable STEM representation), another cheers on a young wheelchair athlete (both present Asian), and a third, wearing a hijab, accompanies her brown-skinned granddaughter on a peace march, as it is “important to speak out for what you believe.” The message of unconditional love is clear throughout: “When you need me, I’ll be there to listen and care. / There is nothing that keeps us apart.” The finished book will include “stationery…for a special letter from Grandma to you!”
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0623-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
