A sound lesson in empowerment and self-respect.
A pigeon learns how to stand up for herself.
Peggy the pigeon can’t catch a break. No matter where she perches, someone objects to her presence and shoos her away. Peggy invariably apologizes and skedaddles, convinced she’s done wrong. Then, Peggy meets a seagull named Joan, who explains that she’s been watching Peggy and has carefully noted her ever contrite behavior. Joan points out that Peggy was victimized and further counsels her to stop saying “sorry” when she isn’t wrong. Joan advises skeptical, shy Peggy to stand up for herself by saying anything other than “sorry” when unjustly picked on. This is good—and hilarious—advice, as Peggy turns out to be quite the wordsmith. Next day, Joan is at Peggy’s side when the same bullies attempt to shoo her off “their” respective patches. Instead of saying “sorry,” Peggy manages—with Joan’s encouragement—to let rip blasts of nonsensical, uproarious comebacks that confuse and startle the bullies and send them packing. Readers will love this warm, funny, reassuring U.K. import about standing up to bullies and taking back one’s own space. Uttering ridiculous, unexpected remarks—as Peggy does—actually isn’t a bad way to completely disarm a tormentor. Kids will howl at Peggy’s snappy retorts and will enjoy volunteering their own wildly silly phrases. The lively illustrations move the story along briskly; Peggy and Joan are feisty, well-realized characters. Humans are racially diverse.
A sound lesson in empowerment and self-respect. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781499815948
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
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
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
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)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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