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EDDA

Name: EDDA
Author: Adam Auerbach
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9703-0

A LITTLE VALKYRIE'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

by Adam Auerbach ; illustrated by Adam Auerbach ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2014

While this will introduce readers to aspects of Norse mythology, there’s not enough detail to satisfy; the questions this...

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Wagner’s operas inspired this Valkyrie-themed look at the first day of school.

Choosing to define Valkyrie as “an ancient Norse goddess who guides and protects heroes” (rather than the more common life-or-death decision-maker for warriors), Auerbach’s choice of protagonist is an unusual one that may simply go over the heads of young readers, though they will certainly empathize with her. Off to school to meet kids her own age, Edda is not sure Earth compares favorably to her life back in Asgard. At home, Edda can do as she pleases, whereas at school, she will get a timeout if she doesn’t follow the rules. No one wants to share or trade lunches with Edda, who has brought a flagon of…something and a huge hunk of meat still on the bone, and she misses the amazing wildlife of Asgard—Rex the classroom guinea pig is no substitute. But things begin to look up when Edda uses a difficult writing assignment to describe Asgard for her classmates, who suddenly want to know more about Edda and where she lives. Auerbach’s pen-and-ink illustrations were colored digitally, giving them a flat, matte aspect. The two worlds are just as incongruous as adult readers might imagine.

While this will introduce readers to aspects of Norse mythology, there’s not enough detail to satisfy; the questions this will raise far outweigh any comfort those new to school may gain from it. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: June 24, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-8050-9703-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
LEGENDARY CREATURES
by Adam Auerbach ; illustrated by Adam Auerbach

- BOOK REVIEW
THE THREE VIKINGS
by Adam Auerbach ; illustrated by Adam Auerbach

- BOOK REVIEW
MONKEY BROTHER
by Adam Auerbach ; illustrated by Adam Auerbach

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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)