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GIRLS ON WHEELS

Name: GIRLS ON WHEELS
Author: Srividhya Venkat
ISBN: 9780593529287

by Srividhya Venkat ; illustrated by Kate Wadsworth ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 8, 2023

An engaging portrait of resilience.

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A group of skateboarding girls in India help their friend overcome uncertainty.

At the crack of dawn, Damini leaves her modest home on her skateboard after doing her chores. On her own board, Sana winds through the bazaar. Anila climbs into the back of a car. All three meet at the skate park, where Anila wonders if she’s brave enough to skate after finally recovering from a broken arm. But when the boys at the skate park taunt her, Anila, with the support of her friends, finds the strength to show them that she is more than capable and to prove to the boys—and herself—that she is stronger than her fear. This book tells a compelling story about the power of friendship and the importance of courage in the face of adversity while highlighting a trio of girls who are very different but are united by their love of skateboarding. Damini appears to live in poverty, Sana is a Muslim hijabi, and Anila comes from a family wealthy enough to drop her at the skate park in a car. Anila’s journey is both inspiring and relatable. At times, the prose can feel clunky, but overall, it’s an entertaining read with a solid message brought to life by vivid artwork. In an author’s note, Venkat states that she was inspired to write this tale because of the increasing popularity of skateboarding among Indian girls. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An engaging portrait of resilience. (facts about skateboarding) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023

ISBN: 9780593529287

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kokila

Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
DANCING IN THATHA'S FOOTSTEPS
by Srividhya Venkat ; illustrated by Kavita Ramchandran

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CLEVER TAILOR
by Srividhya Venkat ; illustrated by Nayantara Surendranath

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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)

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)