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BUGLETTE THE MESSY SLEEPER

Buglette is neat and precise during the day, but each morning she awakens to a messy bed that reflects the big dreams of the night before.

Driving a construction machine leads to a mountain of blankets, and kicking a ball over the moon leaves her pillow teetering on a branch. Her parents tend to be heavy handed with guilt-inducing comments, comparing her to her brothers, who are “neat little sleepers,” and sighing over “how we ended up with a messy sleeper.” They also plant the seed of blame when they suggest that her nighttime movements might wake up their feared predator, the crow. Her brothers make an attempt to “put a lid” on her, but the result is near disaster when the crow makes his move. Buglette bravely saves them all by emulating her intrepid dream self. Murguia’s tale sends mixed messages. Messy sleeping may be an issue for bugs, but it probably won't resonate with humans, and literal-minded young readers will not be able to project any alternate interpretations. Mama Bug’s attitude is especially problematic and obfuscates the apparent theme of celebrating differences and dreaming of possibilities. The watercolor illustrations in nature’s colors are appealing, and Buglette’s action-packed dreams are charmingly depicted. They also serve to provide a visual interpretation that, perhaps, rises above the text. Here's hoping Murguia’s next book has a clarity of text that matches the illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7)

 

Pub Date: May 10, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-58246-375-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

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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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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