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MARGO THINKS TWICE

Name: MARGO THINKS TWICE
Author: Monica Arnaldo
ISBN: 978-1-77147-162-6

by Monica Arnaldo ; illustrated by Monica Arnaldo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 17, 2016

Warm and winning.

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When Margo’s mother expresses her worries, Margo takes her concerns to heart.

Brown-haired, light-skinned Margo seems to be a creative, adventurous child, but her vivid and rather extreme imagination leads her to exaggerate the possible repercussions of her mother’s warnings. Her mother reminds her to be careful not to get sticky while using glue for a project, so Margo immediately pictures herself sticking to everything in sight. She is ready to leap from her swing, but another warning has Margo seeing herself making a very rough landing. Playing jungle explorer in racks of clothing at a store leads to a fear of getting lost. A visit to a pet-adoption center triggers visions of wild, dangerous animals. But a sloppy kiss from a friendly dog brings everything into focus. They are ready to take their new dog home, where they know he will be a perfect fit for their messy, clumsy lives. The text might lead readers to believe that Margo’s mom is a hovering worrier, seeing danger everywhere. But the illustrations depict her as benign and calm, while Margo’s large, expressive brown eyes indicate her terror at every turn, not only thinking twice, but stopping in her tracks every time. Very young readers might be confused at the mixed messages, but the love between mother and daughter shines through, and older readers should grasp the conceit.

Warm and winning. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-77147-162-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Owlkids Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE INTERPRETER
by Olivia Abtahi ; illustrated by Monica Arnaldo

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MUSEUM OF VERY BAD SMELLS
by Monica Arnaldo ; illustrated by Monica Arnaldo

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LAST SLICE
by Melissa Seron Richardson ; illustrated by Monica Arnaldo

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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.

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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

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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...

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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)