This early chapter book sets up the premise for Zoey's story and, more importantly, prepares children for the sometimes...
Rose finds a china doll abandoned in the attic in a tale that builds on the themes found in The Velveteen Rabbit.
Rose is a difficult child, so clumsy at home that her mother never entrusted her with the doll and so dreamy at school that she is called weirdo. Amazingly, the doll comes to life when Rose's tears fall upon her. Although the doll, Regina, is demanding, she becomes the companion Rose desperately needs. However, Regina requires constant attention lest she once again fall into a deep sleep, a heavy responsibility for a child who longs to be out exploring. Readers will readily identify with both the needy Regina and the easily distracted Rose. For as Rose blossoms, she frequently forgets the doll and sheds many guilty tears over her—a situation many youngsters will recognize. In the most original scene, the doll brings Rose closer to her beloved big brother, for he, too, played with the doll in his youth and becomes Rose's partner in finding a home for her. In this prequel to The Very Little Princess: Zoey's Story (2010), Bauer uses a warm and confidential, if sometimes intrusive, storyteller's voice. Sayles' black-and-white pencil drawings tenderly capture Rose.
This early chapter book sets up the premise for Zoey's story and, more importantly, prepares children for the sometimes prickly task of growing up. (Doll fantasy. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-85692-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
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
© 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.
