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RUFUS THE WRITER

Name: RUFUS THE WRITER
Author: Elizabeth Bram
ISBN: 978-0-385-37853-6

by Elizabeth Bram ; illustrated by Chuck Groenink ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 14, 2015

The idea is original and appealing, but the execution is less than inspiring.

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“Rufus was watching a cloud shaped like a cushion turn into a cat when the idea first came to him. ‘I’m not going to have a lemonade stand this summer,’ he said. ‘I’m going to have a story stand!’ ”

Rufus runs off “to gather pencils and paper and markers,” after which an eight-panel double-page spread shows him going through the sequence of setting up a table and chair for his enterprise, carefully decorating both the table and himself. As unlikely as it may seem, when friends Millie and Walter come by and invite Rufus to go swimming with them, Rufus declines, as he has “a story stand to run.” He tells these friends that their price for a story will be a seashell from the beach. Rufus (who is Caucasian) creates a story specifically for his sister and for each of several friends of differing genders, ages, and skin tones; “payments” vary. Each simple story “by Rufus” spans two to four pages, with hand printing and colorful art. The text about Rufus is in black typeface, with artwork similar to that attributed to Rufus. The entire book—including the endpapers—is a tribute to literacy. It may appeal to bibliophiles, but its lack of action beyond reading, writing, and walking is unlikely to create any converts.

The idea is original and appealing, but the execution is less than inspiring. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: July 14, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-385-37853-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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)