A vibrantly illustrated story of determination and grit.
One African girl grows up to change the world in this tale inspired by the real-life experiences of co-author Badiel, a fashion model and philanthropist.
Georgie, or Princess Gie Gie—introduced in 2016’s The Water Princess—has a fire in her belly. Her kingdom? “The black velvet sky. The dusty earth. My magnificent African village.” But the women and girls of her Burkina Faso community must walk miles each day to obtain water—a time-consuming task that keeps the girls from attending school. Gie Gie grows “tall and lovely, brave and wise”; she enters beauty pageants, eventually becoming Miss Burkina Faso. She travels to Paris, where water is plentiful, and begins speaking out about her village and connecting with others who built wells in their own homelands. At last, her hopes become reality as builders come to her village to build a well. Gie Gie narrates with a mixture of optimism, courage, and occasional uncertainty; backmatter includes information on her foundation, created in 2015 to bring water to communities in need. Reynolds’ signature whimsical, fluid illustrations clearly contrast the orange, red, and brown palette of the dry Burkina Faso landscape against the lush blues and greens of Paris. When the well brings water, the colors shifts to blues, greens, and yellows. Reynolds also strategically depicts characters in silhouette, as when Gie Gie grows from child to woman and when adult Georgie pumps water for another little girl; the effect is striking and cinematic.
A vibrantly illustrated story of determination and grit. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217238958
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
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
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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