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NO TOOTING AT TEA

Name: NO TOOTING AT TEA
Author: Alastair Heim
ISBN: 978-0-544-77474-2

by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Sara Not ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2017

Too bad this tea is lukewarm.

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It’s teatime, and everything must be perfect. But wait—what was that sound?

A tousled-haired, jewelry-bedecked hostess welcomes two friends and an array of pet and toy guests for tea. But something—or someone—keeps tooting, and everyone knows “there is no tooting at tea.” Heim’s humorous tale of a tea party gone wrong vies for a seat at a table full of stories old and new. The text is clever enough, featuring a cheekily informative if Eurocentric afterword. The endlessly entertaining theme of flatulence, a satisfying portrayal of an imperious friend getting her just deserts (and desserts?), and the delightfully indelicate alliteration of the titular tooting should invite a wide audience. Regrettably, both design and illustrations make this party a little more exclusive. Fussy lettering, replete with curlicues and adorned with butterflies, flowers, and ribbons, clearly addresses this book to the pretty-pretty-princess set. Not’s art, with loose line drawings and Photoshop coloring, lacks depth, weight, and sophistication, appearing shabby among such company as Jane O’Connor’s Fancy Nancy tales, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. All three girls appear to be white, and a blandly beautiful mother oversees the fete from afar. For tea with a little more body, see Ame Dyckman’s Tea Party Rules, illustrated by K.G. Campbell (2013), or Molly Idle’s Tea Rex (2013).

Too bad this tea is lukewarm. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 4, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-544-77474-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: March 5, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
EVERYTHING IS GRAPE!
by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Michelle Tran

- BOOK REVIEW
DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH LOST CHRISTMAS!
by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Aristides Ruiz

- BOOK REVIEW
NO PEEKING AT PRESENTS
by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Sara Not

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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)