A great read for Lola’s fans and any kid with a yen for a furry pet of their own.
Peruvian/Jewish Lola momentarily inhabits cloud nine in this latest installment of the popular series (Lola Levine and the Ballet Scheme, 2016, etc.).
Counting down the days until her family’s kitty acquisition, Lola keeps busy with the construction of a kitty castle, swim lessons, and research trips to the library. But sadly, all is not well in the Levine household. When an orange cat (dubbed Jelly) comes home with Lola, her brother, Ben, starts exhibiting suspicious symptoms. Lola encourages him to lie about what is clearly a newfound allergy, but this strategy goes south when Ben wakes up with a rash. With Jelly’s days clearly numbered, it’s up to Lola to find her much-longed-for cat a new home ASAP, or it’s back to the shelter. For a kid faced with the crushing disappointment of losing her new pet, Lola takes the news of Jelly’s imminent departure unbelievably well. Mitigating this challenge to credibility, her gutsy attempts to tackle the puzzle of Jelly’s new home smack of true heroism. Befitting this culturally diverse protagonist, Lola’s mixed heritage is acknowledged in small ways throughout, with Peruvian cultural details (chicha morada) and occasional, italicized use of Spanish (“¡Vámonos!”) and Yiddish (bubbe). When Lola bids goodbye to her díario, she tells it “shalom.”
A great read for Lola’s fans and any kid with a yen for a furry pet of their own. (Fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-25853-1
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.
Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.
Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Lively fun with animal friends.
Has Plum’s pep deserted him?
Several animals from the Athensville Zoo are on their way to visit an elementary school. Overconfident Itch the ningbing (an Australian marsupial), unaware that zookeeper Lizzie will be doing all the talking, looks forward to “lecturing eager young minds.” Plum, the usually chipper peacock, on the other hand, is anxious—maybe the schoolchildren won’t like him or he’ll get lost. So when they arrive at the school to find the students have been sent home due to a blizzard, Plum is relieved. The animals are left in a school gym for the night until three self-important class mice free them. Itch heads for the library to meet the learned turtle, but Plum reluctantly explores with his friends. When his anxiety peaks, they reassure him, and when the mice reject Meg, another peacock, as “borrrring” and uncool, they buoy her as well before everyone comes together to save Itch, who finds himself outside and stranded in a snowdrift. Unlike Leave It to Plum (2022), this is not a mystery, and the relationship focus shifts from Lizzie to the rodents, but the pace is brisk, and sequel seekers will be pleased to revisit familiar characters (if dismayed that Itch’s longing for knowledge leads to his downfall). In Phelan’s engaging grayscale pen-and-wash illustrations, Lizzie has short curly hair; text and art cue her as Latine.
Lively fun with animal friends. (how to draw Plum) (Chapter book. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-307920-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
