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MEET THE BOBS AND TWEETS

Name: MEET THE BOBS AND TWEETS
Author: Pepper Springfield
ISBN: 978-0-545-87072-6

From the Bob and Tweets series , Vol. 1

by Pepper Springfield ; illustrated by Kristy Caldwell ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2016

Falls far short of the Seuss it attempts to achieve; here’s hoping Volume 2 can gain some traction.

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Bob Seven and Tweet Seven may seem to be in the wrong families, but they’re a perfect fit as friends.

“A mob of Bobs lives like slobs, / A mob! / Of Bobs! / Oh, such slobs. // Seven Bobs are in the mob. / Can you see that six are slobs?” They make such a mess that they need to move. Mo the Realtor sends them to Bonefish Street. “Now meet the Tweets. / A fleet of Tweets. / Of seven Tweets, just six are neat.” They want to move to someplace where they can be even neater. Unscrupulous Mo sells them the house across the street from the Bobs. When the clans meet at the neighborhood pool, a brawl ensues. Dean (Bob Seven) and Lou (Tweet Seven) seek lifeguard assistance to quell the fight, but surely these neighbors are headed for more clashes. Springfield’s series starter tells a tale even those just starting chapters will be able to predict. Repetitive, simple rhymes make for easier reading, but the bland story and several hiccups in the meter will discourage repeated readings. Caldwell’s energetic, full-color, Sunday-comics illustrations are satisfyingly chaotic, doing their best to lift the story up; all Bobs and Tweets as well as Mo appear to be white. Final art not seen.

Falls far short of the Seuss it attempts to achieve; here’s hoping Volume 2 can gain some traction. (Fiction. 5-8)

Pub Date: June 28, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-545-87072-6

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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CLAYMATES

by Dev Petty ; illustrated by Lauren Eldridge ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2017

The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...

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Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.

A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.

The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: June 20, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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HELLO, SUN!

by Lala Watkins ; illustrated by Lala Watkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2025

Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!

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Fun with friends makes for a great day.

Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”

Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)