Another charming outing for this winsome protagonist.
It’s Picture Day for Henry and the other kids in Classroom Ten.
Some of the students are excited, but Henry, who appears to be on the autism spectrum, can’t help fidgeting in his uncomfortable clothes. Their teacher, Mrs. Tanaka, receives word that the photographer is running late. What should the class do while they wait? Mrs. Tanaka discourages any suggestion that involves getting messy, and the class settles on having a snack. When Henry bites into his carrot stick, something goes snap! One of his teeth is now loose, and soon it pops out completely. But where did his tooth go? His friends help him search among the supply of dirt the class recently used to plant beans—an accidentally messy activity. Henry’s shirt might be smeared with dirt, and his smile might have a gap, but Mrs. Tanaka says that pictures aren’t about looking perfect; they’re about commemorating “special times and special friends.” Henry realizes that the best way to do that is by being himself. Once again, Bailey has created a conscientious portrayal of a child who marches to the beat of his own drum yet who always feels included. The sense of community within Henry’s diverse class is lovely; everyone makes mistakes but ultimately supports one another. Song’s soft watercolor-and-ink illustrations, rendered in black and white with pops of purple, are wryly insightful, as always. Henry and Mrs. Tanaka present as East Asian.
Another charming outing for this winsome protagonist. (Early chapter book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781797230252
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
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)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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