THE ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO PRINCESSES BOOK

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THE ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO PRINCESSES BOOK

Name: THE ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO PRINCESSES BOOK
Author: Ian Lendler
ISBN: 978-1-939547-51-4

by Ian Lendler ; illustrated by Deborah Zemke ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2018

Fun but limiting.

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A young narrator insists that her book will never include princesses—right up until the moment that a princess shows up.

Lita, a white redhead, is tired of princess books, and she directly addresses readers in her enthusiasm for a book of her own that will be full of the outdoors and animals and absolutely, positively no princesses. To Lita’s dismay, however, a frilly pink princess of color with tightly curled black hair named Lilliana Ariana de Darlingsweet-Amazingface (or LaDeeDa) just can’t take the hint. She insists that everyone loves princesses and, at every turn of the page, doggedly persists in adding herself and her aesthetic to Lita’s story. Lendler has crafted frenetic dialogue and charismatic protagonists that bring a page-turn–inspiring energy to the story—or rather the story that happens when another story is interrupted. Unfortunately, and despite Zemke’s delightfully dynamic and playful illustrations, the narrative doesn’t quite hit its mark, even as the stubborn pair of protagonists discovers their commonalities. While the narrative attempts to dismantle the false dichotomy between those who like all things princess and those who like all things adventure, it ultimately ends up implicitly reinforcing the idea not only that princesses and their overalls-loving counterparts are mutually exclusive, but that they are the only types of girlhood available.

Fun but limiting. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-939547-51-4

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Creston

Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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NIA AND THE NEW FREE LIBRARY
by Ian Lendler ; illustrated by Mark Pett

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EVERYTHING NAOMI LOVED
by Katie Yamasaki & Ian Lendler ; illustrated by Katie Yamasaki

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THE FABLED LIFE OF AESOP
by Ian Lendler ; illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

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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

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FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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GRUMPY MONKEY

by Suzanne Lang ; illustrated by Max Lang ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2018

Though Jim may have been grumpy because a chimp’s an ape and not a monkey, readers will enjoy and maybe learn from his...

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It’s a wonderful day in the jungle, so why’s Jim Panzee so grumpy?

When Jim woke up, nothing was right: "The sun was too bright, the sky was too blue, and bananas were too sweet." Norman the gorilla asks Jim why he’s so grumpy, and Jim insists he’s not. They meet Marabou, to whom Norman confides that Jim’s grumpy. When Jim denies it again, Marabou points out that Jim’s shoulders are hunched; Jim stands up. When they meet Lemur, Lemur points out Jim’s bunchy eyebrows; Jim unbunches them. When he trips over Snake, Snake points out Jim’s frown…so Jim puts on a grimacelike smile. Everyone has suggestions to brighten his mood: dancing, singing, swinging, swimming…but Jim doesn’t feel like any of that. He gets so fed up, he yells at his animal friends and stomps off…then he feels sad about yelling. He and Norman (who regrets dancing with that porcupine) finally just have a sit and decide it’s a wonderful day to be grumpy—which, of course, makes them both feel a little better. Suzanne Lang’s encouragement to sit with your emotions (thus allowing them to pass) is nearly Buddhist in its take, and it will be great bibliotherapy for the crabby, cranky, and cross. Oscar-nominated animator Max Lang’s cartoony illustrations lighten the mood without making light of Jim’s mood; Jim has comically long arms, and his facial expressions are quite funny.

Though Jim may have been grumpy because a chimp’s an ape and not a monkey, readers will enjoy and maybe learn from his journey. (Picture book. 4-8)