Functional, in the most limited sense of the term.
Young Sam absorbs easy-peasy strategies for coping with anger issues to kick off a second quartet of openly therapeutic titles in the Our Emotions and Behavior series.
Fits of rage having escalated into a physical attack at a birthday party, Sam is towed off for a timeout by his aunt, who advises him to take a deep breath, count to 10 and think of alternatives to acting out. Sam apologizes to his peers and passes a later test of equanimity with flying colors. Likewise, in Take a Deep Breath (978-1-57542-446-0), Ruby, Andy and other children (plus a teacher, on whom a spider suddenly lands) exhale stage fright and other anxieties away. Daisy’s anxieties about a household move are dispelled by her grandpa’s advice to be more optimistic in But What If? (978-1-57542-444-6). And in I Didn’t Do It! (978-1-57542-445-3), apologies and remedial action help Polly mend fences with her alienated friends after she lies about who’s at fault for a series of mishaps. Each story ends with a whiplash-inducing final spread with an unrelated episode illustrated in a slightly different cartoon style about some other childhood crisis overcome. A closing page of discussion topics signals that these may look like fodder for newly independent readers, but they’re really meant to be shared.
Functional, in the most limited sense of the term. (Early reader/bibliotherapy. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-57542-443-9
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013
A strong, accessible diary story for readers seeking an adorable animal tale.
Bub the anxious pug tackles snow days and new neighbors in his second outing.
Bub, acclaimed by some as “the cutest pug on the planet,” at first shares the enthusiasm owner Bella expresses about snow days even though he doesn’t know what they are. Then Duchess the cat (mildly antagonistic, in typical feline fashion) rains on Bub’s parade by pointing out that snow is water—and Bub’s no fan of rain or baths. After a comedic and disastrous first attempt, Bub learns how to properly dress for snow and enjoy it. The outdoor fun’s cut short by mysterious noises coming from the new neighbor, which frighten Bella into thinking there’s a monster. Bub puts on a Sherlock Holmes get-up to investigate but becomes afraid himself of the new neighbor’s large dog. Finally, Bella meets Jack, who’s been working on a tree fort, and his dog, Luna, who is enthusiastically friendly. The story ends on a positive note, as they all happily work together on the fort. The full-color cartoon illustrations, especially of Bub, are adorably expressive and certain to please the age group. The generous font and format—short, diary-entry paragraphs and speech-bubble conversations—create a quick pace. Bub’s stylized emoji bubbles return and are most hilarious when used to express his nervous flatulence. Bella and Jack both present white.
A strong, accessible diary story for readers seeking an adorable animal tale. (Fantasy. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53006-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
Inviting.
A story inspired by a real-life effort to achieve social inclusion.
Rhyming text enriched by energetic, cartoon-style illustrations follows the diverse students in Miss Mellon’s class at recess. Most of the children dive into play with peers, but some feel timid or excluded. Those at play are initially oblivious to the discomfort of the others, but then a child named Jake notices someone using a crutch and hanging back from play. “ ‘It’s my leg,’ said Gabe. ‘I can’t run in a cast, / so I never get picked, not even last.’ ” Affable Jake responds, “Come play with us anyway. There’s time to spare,” causing Gabe to reply, “Wait a minute …I’ll be right there.” This interaction creates a compassionate domino effect of inclusion, with Gabe reaching out to another kid on the sidelines, and so on. When the children (and, oddly, an elephant and dragon) go inside after recess they ask, “how could we say, / without using words, that we all want to play?” Miss Mellon says they need “a seat / to wait for a friend or a buddy to meet.” It’s unfortunate the solution—the eponymous buddy bench—originates with an adult rather than the compassionate children themselves, especially since the author’s note reveals that it was a first grader who proposed the first one in the United States, but the generosity on display is heartening.
Inviting. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-88448-697-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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