Buzz-worthy.
Two bees show a frog that friendship is as sweet as honey.
In the first of three short chapters, Bumble (a bumblebee) and Bee (a honeybee) are absolutely thrilled it’s “Best Friends Picture Day.” But Froggy wishes they were somewhere else. Not even counting to three and saying “BEES!” elicits a smile as big as Bumble’s or Bee’s. Froggy just frowns. The insects devise a brilliant plan to turn Froggy’s frown upside down—literally. In the next chapter, Bumble and Bee show their compassionate sides and scare Froggy out of a bad case of the hiccups. The final chapter sees the bees showing off their “Waggle Dance” (an actual communication method among honeybees) while trying to get Froggy to follow along. With their quick pace and comic-book layout, the chapters function like miniature cartoon episodes. Burach’s well-structured, thick-outlined panels create a rhythm to each punchline—and the punny jokes just keep coming. The bees’ theatrics and infectious enthusiasm pitted against Froggy’s deadpan dryness place the trio on par with greats like Bob Shea’s Ballet Cat and Sparkles or Mo Willems’ Piggie and Gerald. The stories are told almost entirely in dialogue; color-coded speech bubbles (yellow for Bee, green for Froggy, and orange for Bumble) max out at three per panel. The bright colors, expressive characters, and attention to detail will attract multiple reads. Readers will eagerly await the future planned books in the series.
Buzz-worthy. (Graphic early reader. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-50492-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
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
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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