Friendship gives more strength than any alter ego ever could.
A young victim of name-calling empowers himself by imagining possible alter egos.
Three boys sit in a vast schoolyard with a crumpled daisy and crown off to one side. Brandon, with reddish hair and white skin, imagines himself a zombie with poisonous tears. Oscar, with glasses and darker skin, imagines himself to be a ghost who can swipe away hurtful words without anyone ever noticing. The unnamed narrator, a boy with blond hair and white skin, jumps in, pretending to be a vampire that sucks bad things from the air—including Sam’s mean words. The original altercation has happened off-page, so readers must be skilled in inference to understand who Sam is. Passing references to fairies and a thought bubble showing Brandon wearing a crown with a daisy tucked behind his ear imply that Sam (a girl, never seen, but gender based on pronoun choice) taunted him, spurring those previous poisonous tears. With tears now dried, the three friends decide that not a zombie, but rather a zombie prince, is the best alter ego. Melanson’s digital art is simple, rendering the children with circular heads and lean, linear bodies. Nothing clutters the gentle lesson, though at times the narrative is so obscure, it just may clutter itself.
Friendship gives more strength than any alter ego ever could. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-55498-997-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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