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HARRIET'S REFLECTIONS

Name: HARRIET'S REFLECTIONS
Author: Marion Kadi
ISBN: 9780802856210

by Marion Kadi ; translated by Marion Kadi & Abram Kaplan ; illustrated by Marion Kadi ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 13, 2024

A highly original tale of trying on—and ultimately integrating—multiple identities.

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When an old lion dies, his bored reflection lives on…and finds a perfect match in a discontented girl.

The lion’s reflection winds up outside Harriet’s house. Soon he decides he wants to be her reflection. As Harriet unhappily walks to school, nose in a book, the gigantic animal leaps into a puddle in which Harriet’s wavering image raises her hands in shock. When the child gazes down to see the lion reflected there, she comments, “How fierce I look this morning.” At first, she has “a terribly good time” on the playground. A newly confident Harriet thrives in the classroom, too, until later in the week, when her beastly behavior lands her in trouble. Kadi’s paintings channel the vivid colors of Paul Gauguin’s Tahitian art and Maira Kalman’s whimsical faces. Dynamic energy flows in the curving lines of characters and landscapes. Ultimately, Harriet misses her former self. While hiding under the bed, she finds a small mirror and a face she remembers. Confronting the lion, she comes up with a solution that satisfies everyone. Translated from French, Kadi’s dynamic narrative deftly exploits the universal fascination with the mystery of mirrors. Brief, matter-of-fact sentences and situations lead to wildly humorous visuals. The girl’s skin is as orange as the lion’s; she is distinguished by wavy, black hair. Her class is diverse.

A highly original tale of trying on—and ultimately integrating—multiple identities. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024

ISBN: 9780802856210

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Eerdmans

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

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FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)