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SMELL MY FOOT!

Name: SMELL MY FOOT!
Author: Cece Bell
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7936-1

by Cece Bell ; illustrated by Cece Bell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019

Fragrant fun for first readers.

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A comedic duo stars in their first comic—a playful homage to the Dick and Jane books.

Brain certainly looks smart. But, by Chick’s assessment, Brain’s social ineptitude says otherwise. Chick minds their p’s and q’s, modeling proper behavior for Brain to emulate. Brain takes Chick’s repeat-after-me lessons a bit too literally, however. Instead of copying, Brain responds directly—often hilariously off-script. In exchange after exchange, the pair’s silly chemistry peaks with the human and the bird smelling each other’s feet. Soon, a dog named Spot arrives on the scene, adding their nose to the mix. All that foot sniffing—specifically, yummy chicken foot sniffing—prompts Spot to invite Chick over for an exclusive lunch. Will Chick see through Spot’s politeness before winding up on the menu? In this first series entry, Bell flips the repetitive primer structure on its head and transforms it into a winning oddball comedy. With a limited vocabulary of around 120 words—exclusively presented through dialogue—the four-chapter story is a careful blend of verbal and visual humor. The comic-book format, with usually one to four panels per page, heightens the silly factor with well-placed punchlines. Bell’s highly expressive watercolor and ink cartoon illustrations set characters against sparse backgrounds. It’s up to readers to decide whether the wrinkly gray mass atop white-presenting Brain’s head is tightly curled gray hair or an exposed brain.

Fragrant fun for first readers. (Graphic early reader. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-7636-7936-1

Page Count: 72

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ANIMAL ALBUMS FROM A TO Z
by Cece Bell ; illustrated by Cece Bell

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU LOVES EWE!
by Cece Bell ; illustrated by Cece Bell

- BOOK REVIEW
RABBIT & ROBOT AND RIBBIT
by Cece Bell ; illustrated by Cece Bell

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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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)