by Samantha Cotterill ; illustrated by Samantha Cotterill ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2021
A nonjudgmental approach for gently teaching how to deal with life’s setbacks.
Laila is a planner—she has charts for everything.
As the story opens, she’s planning for her birthday party. What will she wear? What games will everyone play? When should the cake be served? Wait....Lightning! Clouds! Her birthday party is ruined!!! “A sparkly SUNSHINE celebration” was guaranteed for all! Before a meltdown takes control of everything, Mommy has some great ideas. Change doesn’t have to mean disaster. The indoor unicorn obstacle-course race is a success—until whoops—there goes the cake! A nervous tummy doesn’t have to mean the party’s over. Laila’s mom has her child take a few minutes of regroup-time with service dog Charlie. And guess what? The birthday kid realizes that unexpected surprises aren’t all bad. Unicorn ice cream cones, a jar full of colorful paper wishes, and a cutout smiling sun save the day. Cotterill’s Little Senses series, addressing anxiety and challenges faced by children with sensory processing disorder and/or on the autistic spectrum, is so upbeat and helpful that parents everywhere can employ these coping mechanisms with any child. The deceptively simple illustrations are dynamic and engaging all on their own—from the little details of Laila soothing herself by foot-petting Charlie to Laila’s look of triumph when she overcomes her disappointment. Laila and Mommy present Black, as does one of her two guests; the other presents White. On-point closing suggestions provided by a children’s mental health expert round out the positive experience. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
A nonjudgmental approach for gently teaching how to deal with life’s setbacks. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-525-55347-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
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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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New York Times Bestseller
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
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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...
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
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