by Steve Smallman & illustrated by Caroline Pedler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2011
There are enough bully books around that this one can be safely skipped
Bullying goes pastoral.
Down in the burrow, a bunny quartet, from Itty Bitty Betty Bunny to Much Bigger Bunny, is completely out of food, and Little Lenny Bunny is sent above ground to get some. He pulls out a juicy carrot, but out of nowhere steps a Big Bad Bully Bunny! He pushes Lenny to the ground, takes back the carrot and calls him stupid. Sadly, Lenny believes it. He confesses his failure to the others, and Slightly Bigger Benny Bunny says he'll get the carrots. Whom does he run into but Bully Bunny, who calls him ugly. Bigger Barney Bunny has a try, but he leaves feeling fat and wobbly, because Bully Bunny says he is. It takes Itty Bitty Bunny to convince the others that they're not what Bully Bunny says they are and to get them to band together. They load a huge pile of carrots onto a wheelbarrow, and just at that moment Big Bully Bunny looms again. This time, there's safety in numbers and when the four bunnies shout "No!" together, Bully Bunny is so surprised, he falls backwards on the ground. They dump the barrow of carrots on him before romping away. That's the bully’s comeuppance? Smallman's story could be less preachy and his message way less fuzzy, but Pedler's pictures are bright and attractive; her carrots look good enought to eat.
There are enough bully books around that this one can be safely skipped . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-56148-725-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Good Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
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
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by Tom Percival ; illustrated by Tom Percival ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 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
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