by Christian Trimmer ; illustrated by Rachel Gyan ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023
Welcome evidence that heroes come in all sizes, colors, shapes, and species.
What makes a hero?
Wombat is clean, tidy, and orderly. Not so her “disheveled,” “bedraggled” neighbors, Wallaby, Wallaroo, and Kangaroo, who, like Wombat, are native to Australia. She observes that this summer is especially hot and dry, and levels in the water hole are low. Taking matters into her own paws, Wombat dons special gear and uses her powerful claws to dig deep underground until she strikes water, thus replenishing the hole’s supply and earning her pals’ relieved gratitude. Next evening it’s hotter; more animals surround the water hole, which is depleted once more. Wombat digs furiously and locates water again; everyone cheers. A greater threat looms the following afternoon when Koala alerts Wombat to a raging bush fire. This time she demonstrates heroism by inviting all her neighbors into her burrow, offering them safety and refuge when their homes are destroyed. When the fire subsides, they join forces and rebuild their community, bringing a satisfying conclusion to a sweet story about friendship and cooperation—and reminding readers that true heroes assist others whenever they’re needed and without having to be asked. An author’s note includes fascinating true facts about wombats that inspired this story. The lively, textured digital illustrations are colorful, their bright hues foreshadowing a hopeful outlook at story’s end. Wombat is portrayed as expressive and gruffly determined, her underground home, cozy and warm. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Welcome evidence that heroes come in all sizes, colors, shapes, and species. (illustrator’s note) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 9781250788573
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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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...
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
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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings
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by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022
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
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