A warm, genuine journey that promotes self-reliance.
A child learns to embrace her inner strength and transform loneliness into something new.
Ruby, a youngster with long red locks and pale skin, feels very much alone—both at school and at home. Everyone around her is so busy; no one really notices Ruby at all. Tan-skinned Mr. Garcia, her teacher, tells Ruby’s diverse class that sometimes it is helpful to give a name to your problems, to help solve them. Ruby decides to name her problem “Lonely.” Lonely first begins as a reflection of Ruby in a storefront window and, later, a mirror, reflecting Ruby’s frown and slumped posture. However, as Ruby shares things that she enjoys with her new friend, Lonely comes to sit beside her, gradually absorbing color and strength. Lonely is Ruby’s own inner self, gaining confidence and joy—which others start to notice. As Ruby makes friends at school, Lonely doesn’t need to be present as much but is always there in the mirror, just in case. Harren’s soft palette adds a nostalgic twinge to this sensitively told narrative, letting Ruby tiptoe through sorrow and then also shine brightly. An author’s note explains that the story was inspired by Karst’s own loneliness as a child; the author also discusses the importance of having an “inner friend” and ends with discussion questions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A warm, genuine journey that promotes self-reliance. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781662508042
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
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
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