This latest Beany adventure (Beany [Not Beanhead] and the Magic Crystal, 1997, etc.) has all the ingredients that made Wojciechowski’s previous tales such rousing successes. Being the flower girl in her favorite cousin’s wedding has the anxiety-ridden Beany in a tizzy. Cousin Amy is the next best thing to a sister for Beany, so despite her many misgivings, Beany is determined to do the job properly. With the wedding several months away, she has plenty of time to ponder the many pitfalls that lurk ahead. In typical Beany-fashion, she worries about what she will wear, walking down the aisle, getting the perfect wedding present, and a multitude of other fears. Yet, Beany is full of pluck and determined to meet her troubles head-on. As always, Wojciechowski’s writing rings true. Beany’s concerns, ruminations, and antics are grounded in reality, revealing an innate understanding of young grade-school readers, who can readily relate to Beany’s keen yet comical observations. “Carol Ann is my best friend because we live on the same street and sit next to each other on the school bus, but sometimes I don’t really like her that much.” There are plenty of mishaps to keep readers laughing, such as Beany’s lemonade enterprise, which endures a hasty demise at the paws of the neighborhood canine menace. Natti’s black-and-white sketches, highlighting Beany’s misadventures, are a comical counterpart to the text. Fans and newcomers alike will be rooting for Wojciechowski’s intrepid heroine as she tackles her anxieties with grit and fortitude. (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0924-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
Hopping is not hard, for a frog, but when he asks other animals to join him, he finds that bats flap, lobsters snap, and dust flies when an especially large rhinoceros stomps. None of the creatures can do what the frog does so well, until he meets a rabbit, and it becomes a friendship bound by bounding. Vere’s creatures are reminiscent of Sandra Boynton’s: smiling, bright, and lively, unrestrained by this board book’s small dimensions. A hopping good time. (Board book. 1-4)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-531-30131-1
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
Police Officers ($12.95; Apr.; 32 pp.; 1-55074-502-6): The duties of police officers are outlined in this entry in the In My Neighborhood series. Readers follow friendly officers as they respond to calls, crack open a bicycle theft case, and put the crooks into the system. The booking and legal process is briefly explained, as are other duties (e.g., crowd control), and different types of officers, from undercover cops to FBI agents. The book closes with a smart set of safety tips, making this not just for children interested in police work, but for adults who want to keep children alert and cautious. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55074-502-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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