bookshelf

BAD BANANA

Name: BAD BANANA
Author: Michael Rex
ISBN: 9781665962124

READY-TO-READ LEVEL 2

From the Ready-To-Read series

by Michael Rex ; illustrated by Michael Rex ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 13, 2026

A-peel-ing.

bookshelf

If life gives you bad bananas, make banana bread.

Rather than resisting their fate, the anthropomorphic foods in this quirky story long to be deemed delicious. At first, however, the titular banana misses out on the chance to be eaten. Others in the bunch fulfill their purpose, happily sliced into cereal, packed in a lunchbox, or made into a sundae. The plot thickens when the protagonist laments, “But I was never picked…and then something strange happened…I got spots!” Cartoon-style illustrations show spots marring the peel, much to the disgust of a blond-haired, pale-skinned child: “Ewww! It’s all rotten and gross.” Our rejected hero is horrified until the child’s mother has a great idea: Mixed with other foods (each also illustrated with googly eyes, smiles, and appendages), the banana becomes a key ingredient for banana bread batter. “HOORAY!!” the foodstuffs exclaim as the batter is poured into a bread pan, their unified voices indicated by a speech balloon. The silly, somewhat odd effect of batter speckled with smiles and sets of happy eyes, like so many walnuts or chocolate chips, may make some literal-minded readers balk, but in what reads like a voice from the beyond, the banana rejoices, “I’m not disgusting…I’m not a bad banana…I’m a good banana!”

A-peel-ing. (Early reader. 4-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026

ISBN: 9781665962124

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Simon Spotlight

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE GLITCH
by Michael Rex ; illustrated by Michael Rex

- BOOK REVIEW
THE TUNNELER TUNNELS IN THE TUNNEL
by Michael Rex ; illustrated by Michael Rex

- BOOK REVIEW
LOW POWER
by Michael Rex ; illustrated by Michael Rex

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)

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BYE BYE, BUTTERFLY
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MOUSIE LEFT BEHIND
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MAKER'S A TO Z
by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires

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)