MING GOES TO SCHOOL

Name: MING GOES TO SCHOOL
Author: Deirdre Sullivan
ISBN: 978-1-5107-0050-5

by Deirdre Sullivan ; illustrated by Maja Löfdahl ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Featuring peeks at common classroom sights and activities, this empathetic tale could also be a discussion starter about...

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The first year of school for Ming is full of opposites and fun, but some things take time.

School is “where she learns to say hello… // and good-bye.” Flanked by her father, Ming surveys the friendly faces of her teacher and classmates; a turn of the page reveals Ming plastered to the window as her father’s silhouette recedes. She meets new friends and introduces old ones: her well-loved stuffed animal at show and tell. There are “pinkie-lifting tea parties” and walking the plank. But though Ming conquers all these new things, she’s just not ready for the big red slide: “growing up takes time.” As the year proceeds, the seasons turn in Löfdahl’s watercolor illustrations, which are soft, rounded, and slightly fuzzy. White backgrounds keep the focus on the characters and allow the brief text space of its own. Ming’s name implies Asian heritage. She has round eyes like all the other children, her skin is medium-toned, and she sports Pippi Longstocking braids in her dark hair. Her father appears white, and her classmates are diverse. School is “where all things… // are worth waiting for." The final, oval illustration pictures a smiling, confident Ming posed atop the slide in spring.

Featuring peeks at common classroom sights and activities, this empathetic tale could also be a discussion starter about growth and readiness. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5107-0050-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
MING AND HER POPPY
by Deirdre Sullivan ; illustrated by Maja Löfdahl

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PEANUT BUTTER & CUPCAKE

by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 29, 2014

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...

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The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.

Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 29, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SCAREDY SNACKS!
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

- BOOK REVIEW
SNACK ATTACK!
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

- BOOK REVIEW
BIG BROTHER PEANUT BUTTER
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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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)