Bighearted, heart-gladdening, and—best—a light-hearted approach to finding friends.
Who said St. George had the last word when it comes to dragons? Not Sauer’s mite, nor his fire-breathing friends.
A ragamuffin makes himself a dragon costume. He may look like one of the lads from Sherwood Forest, but he plays the part of a dragon well. Well...not so much when two real dragons drop by for a visit. “ROAR! Look at me, look at me! I’m a dragon.” “No. You’re not,” says a dragon. Why, I tower over my cat, I’m toothy, I breathe fire, the boy...well...suggests. Take a look, the dragons suggest in return—not at all superior about their talents, but there’s no doubting who’s a dragon and who’s a kid. “Waaaaaaaaahhhh!” wahs the kid, sealing the fact he’s no dragon. But look what you can do, the dragons say: play hide-and-seek, turn cartwheels, and eat ice cream (the dragons dismally fail at all these). “Waaaaaaaaahhh!” wah the dragons, jeopardizing their dragon status with all the wahing when it dawns on them what they are missing. No one likes to see dragons cry, so the boy points out their commonalities: they can all make silly and scary faces; they can all do the funky monkey. What more, really, do friends need, other than to share time and do weird things? Friendship can be pretty simple, at least at the start, and Sauer—along with some glittering, inviting artwork from Starin—provides encouragement to jump in, despite the incongruities, maybe even because of them.
Bighearted, heart-gladdening, and—best—a light-hearted approach to finding friends. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4814-0224-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
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