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MISS PINKELTINK'S PURSE

Name: MISS PINKELTINK'S PURSE
Author: Patty Brozo
ISBN: 978-0-88448-626-8

by Patty Brozo ; illustrated by Ana Ochoa ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 4, 2018

Simplistic but heartfelt, earnest, and a discussion starter.

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The concept of homelessness is brought down to the youngest child’s level.

It’s not until the third spread, after the newly arrived, plump, gray-haired woman has mowed a swath through town with her heavy bag, that readers get the first hint that Miss Pinkeltink may be homeless. She explains, “Sometimes it’s a blessing, sometimes it’s a curse, / but all that I have, I have in my purse.” Her heart’s in the right place; she searches her bag for bits and pieces to give to townspeople (though most are a little off, such as the comb she hands to a bald man). Finally the bag is empty save for the “pleasure her gifts could provide.” And then she beds down under a willow tree. Young Zoey sees her and enlists the townspeople to help. Seemingly the next day, the racially diverse people lead Miss Pinkeltink in a parade, gifting her various household goods just as she gifted them her small treasures, until they reach their destination: “Your purse needs a home.” The rhymes, the bright colors, the innocuous and eclectic items contained in the purse, and, most of all, Miss Pinkeltink’s sweet-old-lady demeanor and eccentric dress keep the tone of the book light and the protagonist from seeming pitiable. And though the solution may feel ludicrously easy to adult readers, this is a nonthreatening and simple introduction to the topic for young children who have no prior exposure to homelessness. No explanation is given for Miss Pinkeltink’s situation. Miss Pinkeltink is white, and Zoey has light brown skin and straight brown hair.

Simplistic but heartfelt, earnest, and a discussion starter. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-88448-626-8

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Tilbury House

Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BUDDY BENCH
by Patty Brozo ; illustrated by Mike Deas

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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)