Poppy’s paper is hard-won but worth the A it gets.
Following her decision to become a writer when she grows up, Poppy takes a significant step in the right direction—after a few false starts.
Poppy is blithely positive that the perfunctory career declaration she’s produced for a writing assignment will be selected for a class read-aloud. She is therefore deeply miffed when her methodical friend Lavender’s “Why I Want to Be a Brain Surgeon” is chosen instead. When, next time, Lavender’s “My Wish for World Peace” gets the nod over Poppy’s shallow, self-absorbed effort, her fury is so open that she lands a stint in the Chill-Out Chair. Third time’s the charm though, as for the assigned topic “How to Do Something,” a repentant Poppy tallies up her own rude behavior in a paper titled “How to Get in Trouble.” This ingenious apology not only earns applause from the class, but mends fences with Lavender too. Poppy, a flop-eared bunny, leads a cast of small, individualized animals drawn with an expressive delicacy reminiscent of Kevin Henkes’ figures. Also, along with sly notes like Poppy’s bright visions of future school visits and celebrity-autograph sessions, Bonnet depicts the writer-to-be in authentic throes of composition—breaking a pencil, throwing her notebook across the room, and weeping with frustration before finally buckling down. Take note, budding authors.
Poppy’s paper is hard-won but worth the A it gets. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-58089-614-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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