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PABLO PINEDA

BEING DIFFERENT IS A VALUE

From the What Really Matters series

A disappointingly vague tale of achievement in the face of low expectations.

Bosch and Sala relate the accomplishments of Pablo Pineda, a white Spanish boy who became the first European with Down syndrome to graduate from university.

In an awkward framing device, an anonymous child relates to readers what a teacher told a class about Pineda. After Pineda’s parents learned he had Down syndrome (which is described not as a developmental disability but as “special abilities”), they insisted on encouraging his independence and sending him to mainstream schools. In high school, his humor won him friends despite occasional teasing, and he graduated as “the best student in his year.” Despite loneliness, he attended university and obtained a teaching degree. Pineda’s skill with language netted him further work as a speaker, author, and award-winning actor. Pineda is seldom depicted without a book, emphasizing his desire to learn. However, the simple text literally and figuratively pales against Álvarez’s color-saturated pastel illustrations; on dark backgrounds, the words are barely visible. Though Pineda’s accomplishments and strong positive influences offer encouragement, the breezy assertion that he “didn’t believe anything was impossible, and simply achieved his goals” somewhat glosses over the work such achievements required. Readers struggling with learning difficulties, in particular, may be left wanting more concrete details of how he achieved those goals.

A disappointingly vague tale of achievement in the face of low expectations. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Pub Date: June 13, 2017

ISBN: 978-84-16733-23-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Cuento de Luz

Review Posted Online: March 5, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

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

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024

ISBN: 9780593702901

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024

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