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SNITCHY WITCH

Name: SNITCHY WITCH
Author: Frank Sileo
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3022-8

by Frank Sileo ; illustrated by MacKenzie Haley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2019

The Halloween theme may help the didactic lesson go down, but this is a four-season issue.

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A young witch gets a lesson about tattling while away at camp.

Camp Spellbound draws witches from all around to race brooms, swap potions, hold cackling contests, and decorate their hats. But Wanda, who craves the attention of the Head Witch, ruins everyone’s fun with her snitching. It isn’t long before the other campers are refusing to interact with her at all. Clueless Wanda asks fellow camper Wyatt why. Wyatt explains the difference between tattling and telling: Snitching gets people in trouble; telling is for unsafe conditions, when someone’s hurt, or when you need help from a grown-up. That night, some campers put a spell on Wanda to keep her from tattling. She can’t tell the Head Witch that Winnie took an extra doughnut or that Wendy stole spell ingredients. But when she sees Elmira altering William’s broom, which might cause an accident during the broom race, she must find a way to phrase the issue so it doesn’t sound like a snitch, thereby earning back her voice…and her friends. Three pages of dense text for grown-ups follow the tale, explaining snitching versus telling, why kids snitch, and what adults can do about it. Haley’s artwork features dark backgrounds with brilliant splashes of vibrant colors and a diverse cast. Wanda presents white and Wyatt, black.

The Halloween theme may help the didactic lesson go down, but this is a four-season issue. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4338-3022-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BEE STILL
by Frank Sileo ; illustrated by Claire Keay

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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)