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FIRST TIMES

This celebration of maturation, an ever popular theme, is most notable for the diversity of its characters.

On the childhood road to independence, first-time accomplishments are lauded as important milestones.

A brown-skinned sister and her lighter-skinned brother celebrate their individual first times for a variety of activities such as tying shoes, riding a bike, catching a ball, or swimming a lap while their white baby sibling mostly looks on. The childlike drawings of this round-headed, wide-eyed, multiracial family add to the simplicity of the narrative, which is written in a somewhat uneven rhyme. Each specific accomplishment is highlighted, the key word or words printed in a playful display type within each sentence. “My first run with a kite as it climbs to the sky. / My first wish on a star. My first butterfly.” (Here a butterfly lands on the baby’s head.) Whether helping with shopping, making dinner, taking care of a new dog, or reading independently, these sibs are proud to exclaim their growth with each new feat. The book ends a bit abruptly with an illustration of the children in a tent happily looking out without a last sentence to close the book with one cohesive statement. Nevertheless, the basic concepts will easily be recognizable by both those who have already achieved and those aspiring to attain each new skill or experience.

This celebration of maturation, an ever popular theme, is most notable for the diversity of its characters. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4598-1198-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Orca

Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017

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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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IZZY GIZMO AND THE INVENTION CONVENTION

From the Izzy Gizmo series

A disappointing follow-up.

Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).

While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.

A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Peachtree

Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020

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