bookshelf

THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY NOT CURSED

Name: THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY NOT CURSED
Author: Megan Woodward
ISBN: 9781665927987

by Megan Woodward ; illustrated by Risa Rodil ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2024

Goofy, gross, and just plain giggle-worthy.

bookshelf

Beware! This book is definitely cursed…with giggles.

Clustercrump McTootyboots, an adorable creature with long golden hair, bold green eyes, and a striped blue-green jumpsuit, is the cursed narrator of this cursed book. But if Clustercrump can trick enough people into reading the book, readers will be cursed and Clustercrump will be set free at last. Clustercrump informs readers, “If you have any of the following symptoms, it means the curse is already working: The wiggles. The giggles. Trouble licking your elbow. A heartbeat.” Uh-oh…could the curse be working already? And what does the curse entail? For starters, it makes everything taste like cabbage, and it makes nose hair grow long and fast. Worst of all, readers will forget their names and begin calling themselves “Clustercrump McTootyboots.” Luckily, the curse can be reversed, and Clustercrump helpfully provides absurd, impossible, and giggle-worthy step-by-step instructions that must be followed to the letter. But even if readers don’t manage to reverse the curse, the bright side is that they’ll have a lifetime supply of nose hair that looks like noodles and tastes like—you guessed it, cabbage. Rodil’s illustrations feature splashes of bold contrasting colors and varied and even bolder font choices that heighten the drama and humor of this story.

Goofy, gross, and just plain giggle-worthy. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: June 25, 2024

ISBN: 9781665927987

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Aladdin

Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S DRAGONS & MYTHICAL CREATURES | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

bookshelf

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...

bookshelf

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

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

bookshelf

THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

bookshelf

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)