bookshelf

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.

bookshelf

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

bookshelf

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...

bookshelf

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

bookshelf

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.

bookshelf

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)