bookshelf

HENRY'S PICTURE-PERFECT DAY

Name: HENRY'S PICTURE-PERFECT DAY
Author: Jenn Bailey
ISBN: 9781797230252

BOOK 3

From the Henry series , Vol. 3

by Jenn Bailey ; illustrated by Mika Song ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2025

Another charming outing for this winsome protagonist.

bookshelf

It’s Picture Day for Henry and the other kids in Classroom Ten.

Some of the students are excited, but Henry, who appears to be on the autism spectrum, can’t help fidgeting in his uncomfortable clothes. Their teacher, Mrs. Tanaka, receives word that the photographer is running late. What should the class do while they wait? Mrs. Tanaka discourages any suggestion that involves getting messy, and the class settles on having a snack. When Henry bites into his carrot stick, something goes snap! One of his teeth is now loose, and soon it pops out completely. But where did his tooth go? His friends help him search among the supply of dirt the class recently used to plant beans—an accidentally messy activity. Henry’s shirt might be smeared with dirt, and his smile might have a gap, but Mrs. Tanaka says that pictures aren’t about looking perfect; they’re about commemorating “special times and special friends.” Henry realizes that the best way to do that is by being himself. Once again, Bailey has created a conscientious portrayal of a child who marches to the beat of his own drum yet who always feels included. The sense of community within Henry’s diverse class is lovely; everyone makes mistakes but ultimately supports one another. Song’s soft watercolor-and-ink illustrations, rendered in black and white with pops of purple, are wryly insightful, as always. Henry and Mrs. Tanaka present as East Asian.

Another charming outing for this winsome protagonist. (Early chapter book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 18, 2025

ISBN: 9781797230252

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
HENRY AND THE SOMETHING NEW
by Jenn Bailey ; illustrated by Mika Song

- BOOK REVIEW
THE TWELVE HOURS OF CHRISTMAS
by Jenn Bailey ; illustrated by Bea Jackson

- BOOK REVIEW
HENRY, LIKE ALWAYS
by Jenn Bailey ; illustrated by Mika Song

bookshelf

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.

bookshelf

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

bookshelf

ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

bookshelf

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)