A silly superhero tale showcasing a tasty, healthy berry.
Sheldon Bilberry, also known as Blueberry Boy, is a nutritional superhero in this outside-the-box children’s series starter by debut author Jones.
The titular hero wears a cape dyed with blueberry juice because, as he tells his best friend, Lou, it “represents antioxidant protection.” As the duo make their way to their favorite blueberry market—there are several in their hometown of Jaloonsville—they’re greeted by Viney, another friend, who reminds Sheldon to bring a favorite homemade blueberry treat to school. All seems well until store owner Mr. G. shares a terrible secret: his market may have to close because the new delivery truck driver is bringing him only junk food. What will Jaloonsville do without its blueberry deliveries? Rather than follow the obvious course of action—uncovering why the junk food is being delivered—Sheldon devises a grander plan: he and his parents will buy several acres of land to start their own blueberry farm. His parents agree, and they strike a deal with the neighboring town of Buron Park. But the plot soon thickens: the driver of the delivery truck, Lazy Lars, is also from Buron Park, and he’s determined to keep Sheldon’s healthy treats out of his hometown, where junk food reigns supreme. Readers will never doubt Sheldon’s eventual success. The characters’ constant love of blueberries, along with the book’s whimsical cartoon illustrations, give the story a lighthearted flavor. The health food aspect is less pronounced than in similarly themed books but it’s still strongly present; readers will know that the only supervillains Sheldon will face will be candy bars and other sweets. Although both Sheldon and the delivery driver are Caucasian, the illustrations show Jaloonsville to be delightfully diverse, proving that everyone can share a love for blueberries.
A silly superhero tale showcasing a tasty, healthy berry.Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-615-68425-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Melissa's Book Publishing LLC
Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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