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THE PIPSQUEAK

Name: THE PIPSQUEAK
Author: Ben Manley
ISBN: 978-1-72849-211-7

by Ben Manley ; illustrated by Andrew Gardner ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023

A fun underdog story for readers intrepid enough to join this merry band of kids.

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The seemingly weakest member of a group of friends solves a bullying problem.

The opening double-page spread shows a racially diverse array of cartoonish characters with large, round heads; round, opaque, black eyes; and frowning eyebrows. Each character’s name is listed. Narrator Hero, who presents as Black, states, “This is our gang. This is our spot. And we like it a lot. So hands off!” As Hero introduces each gang member and their particular skills—other than light-skinned Pip, who has no discernible talent—gentle humor comes through. For example, tan-skinned Thunderbolt—dressed appropriately in cheetah-print clothing—is so quick that “even her watch is fast.” The only person faster than Thunderbolt—and, indeed, superior to everyone else—is nonmember Solo. The light-skinned, freckled girl, who, we learn from Hero, once “squished” Pip and took his yo-yo, overpowers each club member until Pip not only speaks truth to power, but eventually leads the others to accept lonely Solo’s membership. The humor is enjoyable, and Pip’s cleverness will inspire little ones, though the story seems to have a bit of dissonance; while it encourages children to be bold, caring, and inclusive, the beginning and ending show the club members looking a bit menacing, as though discouraging outsiders from joining. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A fun underdog story for readers intrepid enough to join this merry band of kids. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 4, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-72849-211-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Andersen Press USA

Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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)