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PICTUREFACE LIZZY

Name: PICTUREFACE LIZZY
Author: Josh Gad
ISBN: 9780593463123

by Josh Gad ; illustrated by Marta Kissi ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 17, 2024

A humorous yet balanced take on a hot topic.

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Broadway and film actor Gad tells the story of a child who needs the hottest new electronic device to fit in—or so it seems.

Eve has many material possessions, family members, and pets, including a hedgehog named Snoop Hog, a three-legged lizard, and a puppy named Bluster. But, alas, Eve’s life is still a “tragedy,” because the child doesn’t have a PictureFace Lizzy electronic toy. Eve has asked for one 12 times, and while Mom and Dad haven’t said no outright, their non-answers haven’t yielded Eve’s desired outcome. A shopping trip with two friends who do have PictureFace Lizzy toys is another reminder of what Eve doesn’t have. Even gymnastics—where Eve is top of the class—makes the child feel left out when everyone dances to pop songs played by a PictureFace Lizzy. At birthday parties, sleepovers, and in school, Eve’s always the odd one out. Finally, Eve asks again and…best surprise ever: Eve gets a Lizzy! While the new tech brings Eve up to speed with the class, everyone actually has the most fun when they put their Lizzys away and experience life screen-free. This wholesome, funny tale tackles themes of consumerism and technology trends, while Kissi’s full-color cartoon art complements the first-person narration, capturing Eve’s flair for the dramatic. Eve’s cued as biracial, with one brown-skinned parent and one lighter-skinned parent. The Lizzy toys are customizable to resemble their owners.

A humorous yet balanced take on a hot topic. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024

ISBN: 9780593463123

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- SEEN & HEARD
Kristen Bell To Narrate Josh Gad Audiobook

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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)