An affirming read that values introverts and extroverts alike, uplifting each for their unique qualities.
Acclaimed novelist Patchett teams up with Fancy Nancy illustrator Glasser for the tale of a young boy who withdraws during his birthday celebration.
Mr. and Mrs. Vert and big sister Estie want to make the day special, but they fail to ask Ivan for his opinion. Extroverted Estie enthusiastically gathers all the apartment neighbors for a party, prompting introverted Ivan to slip away and hide. Estie parties away with her guests: dancing, making paper hats, and leading everyone in song once the candles are lit. When Estie finally discovers Ivan behind the couch, she feels unappreciated for all her birthday efforts, but she’s touched to learn that what Ivan wants most is to hide away in a cozy fort with his sister. Despite Grandmother Vert’s repeated prodding that each sibling should be more like the other, Mr. and Mrs. Vert gently support both of their children throughout the story and advocate for Ivan in important moments. Though the family’s last name and the book’s subtitle make clear to adult readers that this is a tale about introversion and extroversion, these words and definitions never appear within the story. Whimsically stylized illustrations evoke joy and movement. Each character’s facial expression is dynamically wrought; Ivan’s and Estie’s are especially evocative. The Vert family reads white, while their neighbors are racially diverse and represent a variety of family structures.
An affirming read that values introverts and extroverts alike, uplifting each for their unique qualities. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780063064553
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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