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DAISY AND JOSEPHINE

Name: DAISY AND JOSEPHINE
Author: Melissa Gilbert
ISBN: 978-1-4424-4578-9

by Melissa Gilbert ; illustrated by Julia Kuo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2014

A canine penchant for French couture adds unexpected verve to this otherwise fairly ordinary tale of a lonely girl.

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Daisy’s new puppy may refuse to play fetch, chase or catch, but she’s a fashionista who soon wins Daisy’s heart.

Daisy’s father’s a famous entertainer and her “all-together favorite person.” Even though Daisy travels everywhere with her father, she’s lonely and longs for a friend. One day, her father surprises Daisy with a funny-looking puppy named Josephine, with “no tail, giant ears, and a smooshy nose” and protruding bottom teeth. When the little girl tries to play with Josephine, the puppy refuses, prompting a frustrated Daisy to ask, “What do you want do?” To Daisy’s surprise, French-speaking Josephine explains that she is a French bulldog: “And I just love clothes! Oh, please, won’t you help me find something stylish to put on?” Soon, Daisy and Josephine bond as together they create “très chic” outfits. Unremarkable digitally colored pencil illustrations rely on line and pale color washes to highlight Daisy’s loving relationship with her father, her transformation from shy to confident girl, and Josephine’s ultrafeminine, humorous, fashionably attired persona. Daisy’s marked overbite provides a droll contrast with Josephine’s prominent lower fangs.

A canine penchant for French couture adds unexpected verve to this otherwise fairly ordinary tale of a lonely girl. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4424-4578-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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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

PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

by James Dean ; illustrated by James Dean ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among

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Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.

If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)