While more didactic, William Mulcahy and Darren McKee’s Zach Gets Frustrated (2012) teaches children to deal with their...
Harry, star of the first Kindergators book, Hands Off, Harry (2011), relates the school day’s dramas to his parents.
And was it ever a doozy of a day. Miracle, who brings an unhealthy snack to school and doesn’t want to share, spends a good portion of the day sneaking bites. But when the radiator melts the Fudgettes, Miracle melts as well, and not for the last time—her lunch isn’t right, she spills her grape juice, she’s not the counting-card leader, Miguel steps on her foot. Throughout, her classmates sweetly though unrealistically go out of their way to try to cheer her up and generally let her get away with her whining ways. Her teacher even awards her the Star of Bravery for the one time she counts to 10 and doesn't melt down. No mention is made of her selfishness or breaking of the rules. No doubt, these students and their teacher are models of classroom harmony, but most classes will fall far short of their example. (Wells’ backmatter does provide a few tips for teachers on "Creating Harmony.") The gators are as visually distinctive as in their first outing, collaged clothing covering lumpy green skin, and Harry has not changed his active ways, doing flips in the classroom.
While more didactic, William Mulcahy and Darren McKee’s Zach Gets Frustrated (2012) teaches children to deal with their frustrations rather than depend on others to solve difficulties for them. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-192115-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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