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THE INVITATION

Name: THE INVITATION
Author: Stacey May Fowles
ISBN: 9781773066615

by Stacey May Fowles ; illustrated by Marie Lafrance ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023

Visually appealing empowerment in the face of anxiety.

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When the what ifs have you stumped, find a friendly voice.

One day, Fern, a humanoid creature with a light-skinned face, green body, and brackenlike hair, finds a yellow envelope in her mailbox. She has no idea what it could be and begins to fret over the possibilities of bad news. Literal clouds hang over her head. Then, her friend Fawn, a deer wearing a pair of striped pants, appears and tells Fern to open the envelope, saying they’ll face whatever is inside together. Fern pulls out an invitation to a “super special surprise exhibition” at the local museum. Fawn offers to go with Fern (who doesn’t like surprises). On the way, Fern continues to consider horrible what ifs, like if a fallen tree should block their way. Fawn always provides a solution (they’ll ask a bear to lift the tree). Eventually, Fern supplies some solutions of her own, and everyone has a marvelous time. This exploration of anxiety shows readers that a supportive friend (or an inner positive voice) can be a staunch defense against catastrophizing and that there are benefits to moving through those stifling thoughts. This story has just the right amount of whimsy to counteract the seriousness of the issue. Lafrance’s illustrations ooze with glorious nature details and graphite-produced textures, though some of the animals’ stares look a bit dim. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Visually appealing empowerment in the face of anxiety. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 4, 2023

ISBN: 9781773066615

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

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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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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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)