Thin characterization and an unsatisfying ending make this one to miss.
A bully causes a group of kids to find a solution to their playtime dilemma.
Ever since Emma’s arrival, Ana’s been isolated from her longtime friends, rumored about cruelly, and made to give up her lunches. Fearing the embarrassment of tattling, Ana suffers in silence—until her friends get the same kind of treatment and decide, one by one, to form their own play group. Despite threats, the group grows bigger each day until Emma is left alone and must sheepishly ask to join them all. This timely book about bullying and power dynamics unfortunately falls short on nuance and ends abruptly. The lesson from Spanish author and kindergarten teacher Serrano seems to be that kids should wait a bully out instead of getting an adult involved. And Emma herself is presented only as a frowning ball of anger and spite; it’s unclear what her motivations are and how, as a new kid in school, she was able to take control so easily. What both the English and simultaneously publishing Spanish versions of the book do get right, though, is the feeling of being trapped in an uncontrollable school power dynamic, illustrated with plenty of sweat and frowns. There’s the gulps, the tummy aches, the anxiety of feeling picked on and singled out. Emma presents white, Ana has brown skin, and the other kids are diverse.
Thin characterization and an unsatisfying ending make this one to miss. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2019
ISBN: 978-84-17123-46-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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
© Copyright 2025 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.
