Perfect for lively read-alouds, especially during times of homebound play when children just need to shout!
Bold, brash, and bursting with personality—this book should be read with an outdoor voice!
Endpapers explode with colors and patterns, and the protagonist—a beige-skinned kid with straight, black hair—declares, “I don’t want to be quiet, I’d rather be LOUD!” Readers will know a boisterous adventure awaits them. Clad in a robot mask and carrying a broom turned into a rocket ship, the narrator is full of life and loves being loud, at the expense of baby brother’s nap and Mom’s patience. Lively rhyming text, set at times in big capital letters, conveys this kid’s enthusiasm, bouncing through life raucously, making noise on stairs and with spoons, humming, popping balloons, burping (“oops”), and more. But then, during a trip to the quiet library (“BORING”), when, following an outburst, other library users shush the noisemaker, the effusive protagonist opens a book. Within is a thrilling tale to keep that busy mind occupied while reading silently. Readers can see the adventures the narrator imagines, rendered with equal joy to the real-life escapades. Better still, it turns out that being quiet leads to the discovery of all sorts of new sounds all around. Fear not, this kid still has loud moments, but now they are balanced. Vivid, imaginative illustrations engage readers and viscerally convey the wide range of emotions felt by this audacious protagonist. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.8-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Perfect for lively read-alouds, especially during times of homebound play when children just need to shout! (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-11728-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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