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HAIR TO SHARE

Name: HAIR TO SHARE
Author: Sylvia Walker
ISBN: 978-0-593-42688-3

by Sylvia Walker ; illustrated by Sylvia Walker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 23, 2022

An attempt at empowerment that misses the mark.

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A friendship is strengthened when one girl shares her hair with another.

For Suri, a bespectacled, brown-skinned girl with cascading curls, hair has been a significant part of her identity. At the park, she befriends Amaya, a brown-skinned girl wearing a headscarf. While doing cartwheels one day, Amaya’s headscarf falls off, revealing that she doesn’t have any hair. Before Suri can return the scarf, Amaya runs away. Suri’s mother explains that hair loss can happen for many reasons and assures Suri that a person can still be beautiful inside and out without hair. But instead of affirming Amaya’s beauty, Suri and her mother visit a salon that makes wigs from donated hair; Amaya is on a waiting list for a wig, so Suri has her hair cut and made into a wig, which she mails to Amaya. Readers don’t learn much more about Amaya other than that she’s happy to have received the wig and returns to the park wearing it, “feeling a boost of confidence, knowing her new best friend had chosen to share her glorious, awesome hair with her.” Suri’s experience is centered; Amaya feels like a prop to allow Suri to be the hero. Though the message about the importance of hair donation is a good one and the graceful watercolors are charming, there are better ways to raise awareness. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An attempt at empowerment that misses the mark. (information on hair loss and hair donation; list of hair donation nonprofits) (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-42688-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE UMBRELLA
by Sylvia Walker ; illustrated by Sylvia Walker

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BYE BYE, BUTTERFLY
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MOUSIE LEFT BEHIND
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MAKER'S A TO Z
by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)