A straightforward tale that sheds light on OCD.
Malik wants to go to his friend’s birthday party, but he’s afraid his obsessive compulsive disorder—his “Number Thoughts”—will get in the way.
Malik, a boy with brown skin and dark, coily hair, has been dealing with his Number Thoughts since last year. He feels compelled to count everything he does, such as tapping his pencil or blinking before going to sleep, and he feels scared and anxious when he doesn’t do things in fours. Malik is worried that his Number Thoughts will get in the way at the party, but he draws on techniques given to him by his therapist, such as deep breathing. This book provides a simple, realistic explanation of OCD, presenting it as something that can be coped with rather than as a problem to be easily solved. Children who have OCD will likely see themselves reflected in Malik and will benefit from the calming and centering techniques provided. These are incorporated into the story, modeled by Malik, so that readers can absorb them in context. The book could also be a useful teaching tool to help children who do not have OCD understand it. Unfortunately, the plot is a bit boring, and the tone is didactic. The illustrations are cute, providing support for the text, though they are static at times. Malik’s therapist is light-skinned, and his friends are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A straightforward tale that sheds light on OCD. (additional information on OCD) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8075-4950-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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