An enjoyable, gently empowering friendship story.
It’s easier to feel brave with a friend.
In this sequel to Share Some Kindness (2020), a brown bear and a brown-skinned girl named Coco excitedly practice their dance moves for the talent show. They’re different in some ways, but as best pals they complement each other. Bear is big, while Coco is small; Bear is shy, while Coco is brave. Bear acknowledges he would never be bold enough to do the talent show solo, though Coco says he makes up the best dance moves. When dress rehearsal starts, Coco discovers she’s lost her brave and can’t continue. Some animal buddies suggest strategies that might work (meditation, practicing before a small audience, shouting at the fear to let it know who’s boss); these help somewhat, but they’re not enough to convince Coco to perform. The friends must inform Mama Deer that they’re dropping out of the show, but they’ll have to traverse a wobbly rope bridge first. They’re both afraid, but Coco patiently helps Bear get across, and the pair make a terrific discovery: Coco hasn’t lost her brave—it was just “hiding behind your fear,” as Bear puts it. Coco chooses “to let [her] brave be bigger than [her] fear” and performs with Bear in the talent show after all, because she’s now ready for anything. Though predictable, this tale is sweet, reassuring, and uplifting. Coco and Bear are a relatable, supportive duo. The lively illustrations, created with watercolor and digital ink, are very appealing. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An enjoyable, gently empowering friendship story. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5344-9911-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.
How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?
Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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