A mouthwatering, heartwarming story of teamwork.
A delightful account of helpfulness, plans placed on hold, and disappointment avoided.
Each year, in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Lola’s parents make and sell apple pies from their orchard store. Lola wants to help by preparing Thanksgiving dinner herself. She has all the right ideas, like organizing a daily schedule to get the advance prep done, and an eagerness to take responsibility. But each morning, as she consults her projected list—peel potatoes, snap green beans, cut carrots—she notices that her parents need her help with their task that day. Charles takes readers step by step through the pie-making process. Day One is devoted to making the bottom crust: Dad weighs and mixes the flour, Mom portions out the dough, and then Dad presses it into a pan—with assistance from Lola. In the following days, the family works on the top crust and peels and cores the apples. Finally, each family member helps with baking and selling. The job all done, Lola is “too pooped to mash, and too tuckered to cook.” So what about dinner? Then her extended family arrives, bearing contributions, and everyone pitches in, because “big jobs sure work better with a little help.” An author’s note describes the real-world model for the farm; a pie recipe and photos are appended. Warm, slightly idealized pastel illustrations add autumnal spice to this sweet book. While the protagonists are light-skinned, the farm’s clientele is diverse.
A mouthwatering, heartwarming story of teamwork. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781534112735
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
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
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
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