GREAT

Name: GREAT
Author: Glen Gretzky
ISBN: 978-0-670-06990-3

by Glen Gretzky & Lauri Holomis ; illustrated by Kevin Sylvester ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

Fun and effort trump commercialization and competitiveness every time in sports, and this book tells a plain truth that...

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If you have a hankering for hockey, when the Gretzky family weighs in, sit up and listen.

This is a sports story about attitude, which can rarely be emphasized enough, because it rarely sinks in deep enough to leave its lasting mark. Young Taylor has made Wayne’s team—that’s “the kid they are already calling the Great One.” Taylor brings a world of enthusiasm with him, but he has plenty to learn, first and foremost that he has to stop trying to impress everyone else and stop pouting when he makes a mistake. Gretzky and Holomis keep the narrative simple, sticking to the cardinal rules: “You don’t start something and then quit…if you know you’re not the biggest or the fastest player, you work on being the smartest,” Coach Wally tells Taylor after a blunder. He goes on: “I picked you because you worked hard. You had a great attitude.” (Coach Wally is patterned after the Great One’s father.) Noting Coach Wally’s past tense, Taylor goes on to try to be the best he can be on a team that Sylvester has invested with brio and diversity: boys, girls, white kids, dark-skinned kids, one gentleman with purple locks. Sports will never deliver the most unless the words of Coach Wally are taken to heart: “As long as you have fun, work hard and do your best, that is all that matters.”

Fun and effort trump commercialization and competitiveness every time in sports, and this book tells a plain truth that Gretzky learned early. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-670-06990-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Puffin/Penguin Random House Canada

Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)