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MILES MCHALE, TATTLETALE

Name: MILES MCHALE, TATTLETALE
Author: Christianne Jones
ISBN: 978-1-5158-0753-7

From the Little Boost series

by Christianne Jones ; illustrated by Elina Ellis ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2017

Though not a standout, this book fills a niche for those seeking titles dealing with this particular issue of character...

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The titular little chick learns an important lesson about what behaviors need to be reported and which to just let slide.

Jones’ newest picture book continues in the vein of some of her previous work with social-emotional development (Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker, 2014, etc.). Here, Miles McHale is a member of a classroom populated by softly illustrated anthropomorphic wild animals of diverse species led by a giraffe with the Dickensian name of Mrs. Snitcher. Tattle-telling has become an issue in the classroom, and Mrs. Snitcher challenges her charges to a “Tattle Battle,” in which the team with the fewest tattles at the end of the week wins. Tattling is here defined as any concern that does not meet the following criteria: “If a friend is sick, hurt, or in harm’s way, / Then telling someone is OKAY.” Miles struggles to determine which events over the course of the week must be shared with an adult, including an accident with his little sister back at home. While the book does not address the issue at the heart of much tattling—the perception of injustice—it does offer some simple, easy-to-remember rhymes to help guide children toward appropriate sharing of concerns.

Though not a standout, this book fills a niche for those seeking titles dealing with this particular issue of character education . (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-5158-0753-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Capstone Young Readers

Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
LUCIA LACORTE, POOR SPORT
by Christianne Jones ; illustrated by Marisa Morea

- BOOK REVIEW
HARRISON P. SPADER, PERSONAL SPACE INVADER
by Christianne Jones ; illustrated by Cale Atkinson

- BOOK REVIEW
FUCHSIA FIERCE
by Christianne Jones ; illustrated by Kelly Canby

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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)