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YOU MUST BE THIS TALL

Name: YOU MUST BE THIS TALL
Author: Steven Weinberg
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2981-8

by Steven Weinberg ; illustrated by Steven Weinberg ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2016

Humorously speaks to kids’ frustrations but doesn’t support rule-following.

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Tongue-in-cheek humor explores that age-old conundrum facing every child who is too short to ride some exciting attraction.

Frank and Harold are best buddies enjoying a day at the fair. They are “slammin’! Ridin’! Spinnin’! Bouncin’!” But this fun cannot compare to that to be had on the Rattler, a big, twisty roller coaster that lights up their eyes and sets their hearts to racing. But to ride, they have to get past the pig in the bow tie and top hat with the measuring stick. Frank, a long, skinny, striped snake, has height to spare, but Harold, a short rattlesnake, does not. Suddenly the fair is not so much fun. But Frank won’t give up on the dream of riding the Rattler together. While his first two plans fail—a disguise and stretching on the flying trapeze—he still has one trick up his sleeve…or is that down his gullet? (And it doesn’t involve platform shoes.) Bright candy-colored watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations capture the flavor of a fair, spots and double-page spreads used to great effect, and readers must rotate the book 90 degrees every time Harold tries to measure up next to an increasingly angry pig. Unfortunately, Weinberg never addresses the need for height requirements on amusement rides, even in an author’s note, leaving readers feeling that the rule is arbitrary and can be circumvented.

Humorously speaks to kids’ frustrations but doesn’t support rule-following. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 12, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-2981-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: McElderry

Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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WHAT IS COLOR?
by Steven Weinberg ; illustrated by Steven Weinberg

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ASTRONUTS MISSION THREE
by Jon Scieszka ; illustrated by Steven Weinberg

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FRIDGE AND OVEN'S BIG JOB
by Steven Weinberg ; illustrated by Steven Weinberg

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

by James Dean ; illustrated by James Dean ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among

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Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.

If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)