A practical and refreshingly inclusive take on persistence.
A child struggles to ride her bike.
Tenacious has always lived up to her name, whether walking to a waterfall when her legs are tired or climbing to the “tippy-top of the tire swing.” And now she’s determined to ride her bike in the Wheel Parade. Although she does her best to maintain her balance, Tenacious keeps crashing—and the parade is this afternoon! Fortunately, Tenacious’ sister, Sage, knows “a thing or two about riding around on wheels.” Sage, a talented wheelchair basketball player, suggests that instead of trying her hardest, Tenacious try her “smartest.” For Sage, that means visualizing making a successful basket, practicing, and adjusting her technique as needed. Following Sage’s example, Tenacious imagines herself pedaling with the other kids, and when she “wiggle[s]” and “wobble[s]” and “weave[s],” she, like Sage, “lean[s] a little left” and “rotate[s] a little right.” Soon, Tenacious is pedaling around the neighborhood—and, as the parade begins, even challenging Sage to a race. Hatch’s sunny cartoon illustrations readily convey Tenacious’ resolve and frustration. Vaughan’s portrayal of a disabled sibling as a supportive mentor rather than an opportunity to explain disabilities shows welcome representation, and readers of all abilities will find Sage’s advice helpful as they practice their own endeavors. Tenacious and Sage have light skin; background characters are racially diverse.
A practical and refreshingly inclusive take on persistence. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780593645215
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
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
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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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