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I'M A GIRL!

A rallying cry to be enthusiastically true to oneself

A spirited young child is proud to be a girl—even if everyone mistakes her for a boy.

Even though girls are supposed to be made of sugar and spice, Ismail’s spunky protagonist is not. She makes a mess when she eats. She rides so fast on her scooter that when it hits a bump, she’s sent flying through the air. Because of her exuberant personality, adults refer to her as “sonny” and “young man.” To which she proudly responds, “I’m a girl!” She refuses to change who she is based on others’ expectations of how a girl should behave. Her strong self-confidence pushes aside frustration to celebrate being a girl, and she makes a new friend who is just as proud to be a boy. Young readers will giggle over the protagonist’s misadventures. Most importantly, readers will relate to her belief that there is “no right or wrong way to play when you play ‘pretend.’ ” Ismail even sneaks in the message that it’s OK for boys to play with dolls. Ismail’s lively watercolors pop against the minimalist backgrounds, capturing her narrator’s energy. She depicts her protagonist as a donkey, surrounding her with a truly diverse cast of anthropomorphic animals.

A rallying cry to be enthusiastically true to oneself . (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: July 12, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-61963-975-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016

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FIND FERGUS

An amusing introduction to the long-standing diversion of hide-and-seek books.

A young bear learns the nuance of blending into a crowd when playing a game of hide-and-seek.

Much like any naïve 3-year-old, Fergus, a brown bear with round, black eyeglasses, must first understand the concept of hiding. Whether out in the open or next to or behind a slender tree, Fergus is told he is easily found and must try again. The continual voice of the speaker is that of a kind, patient instructor as Fergus follows directions, presents various choices for hiding places, and works to improve strategy. “We’re going to help you,” says the narrator. “Start by hiding in a crowd.” In a group of small squirrels and rabbits, Fergus easily stands out, as he also does in crowds of large elephants or polar bears. Hiding among moose while sporting tree-branch antlers doesn’t quite do it either. Finally, Fergus, willing to keep at it, is able to successfully find concealment among a bunch of brown bears wearing a variety of facial expressions. Simple, black-line drawings augment Fergus’ efforts through each encouraging directive. Having mastered the idea, Fergus then hides within a large, diversified animal crowd splayed across a double gatefold to create a Where’s Waldo–like challenge featuring all the previous characters together. For the ultimate seek-and-find activity Fergus then challenges readers to search within the gatefold for a long list of items. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size; double gatefold viewed at 50% of actual size.)

An amusing introduction to the long-standing diversion of hide-and-seek books. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-984849-02-1

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020

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BINNY'S DIWALI

A simplistic, outdated take on Diwali for young children.

It’s Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and Binny can’t wait to tell her class about her favorite holiday.

On their way through their North American suburb to school, Binny’s mother wishes her luck and reminds her to tell her class about the oil lamps that are a central part of their family’s Diwali tradition. But when Binny’s teacher, Mr. Boomer, invites her to share, Binny freezes, overcome with shyness. Taking a deep breath, she remembers her mother’s advice. The thought of the world filled with light—symbolizing the triumph of good over evil—gives Binny the strength she needs to tell her family’s Diwali story. While the book is thorough in its description of traditions like wearing new clothes, eating sweets, lighting lamps, and decorating floors and sidewalks with colored powder, the prose is clunky and clumsy, and Binny’s conflict is resolved so quickly that the story arc feels limp and uninteresting.  Other elements of the text are troubling as well. Calling Binny’s new clothes an “Indian outfit,” for example, erases the fact that the kurta she wears is typical of the entire South Asian subcontinent. The use of most fireworks, which the author treats as an essential part of the holiday, is now banned in India due to concerns about pollution and child labor. Most problematically of all, the author continually treats Diwali as a Hindu holiday celebrated by “everyone,” which is untrue in India or in diaspora and which dangerously equates Hindu and Indian identity. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads reviewed at 49% of actual size.)

A simplistic, outdated take on Diwali for young children. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-338-36448-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020

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