NO, NO, GNOME!

Name: NO, NO, GNOME!
Author: Ashlyn Anstee
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3091-3

by Ashlyn Anstee ; illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 9, 2016

A lighthearted glimpse into a hyperactive, impulsive tot’s world and a possible learning tool to encourage social-emotional...

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It’s time to harvest the school garden, and a young gnome has difficulty controlling his excitement.

The class at Greenthumb Elementary is decidedly diverse. Not only do the children display a variety of skin tones, there are also a few anthropomorphic rabbit students (also apparently of different ethnicities), plus…one gnome. The white-bearded youngster has a bulbous nose, huge smile, and unbridled enthusiasm. So much so, in fact, that he wreaks havoc on the garden. Mr. Waters first instructs Gnome to pull weeds. But soon his eagerness takes over, and he uncontrollably begins ripping everything from the ground, crops included. This causes the students to cry out in dismay, “No, no, Gnome!” (an all-too-familiar refrain for them). By the time Gnome’s bursts of energy are finally calmed, the garden is in ruins. The other students droop as dejectedly as the tattered plants. No one wants to speak to Gnome. He must figure out a way to earn their forgiveness. In a solution that encourages readers to repair their mistakes (even if it’s a bit unrealistic that a whole garden could be fixed in a single afternoon), Gnome’s smile shines brightly again. The warm, gouache illustrations showcase a bountiful harvest of produce and friendship.

A lighthearted glimpse into a hyperactive, impulsive tot’s world and a possible learning tool to encourage social-emotional growth. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-3091-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BOOP THE SNOOT
by Ashlyn Anstee ; illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE NARWHAL, NOT ALONE
by Tiffany Stone ; illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee

- BOOK REVIEW
TIDE POOL TROUBLES
by Ashlyn Anstee ; illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee

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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)