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SIR TIM IS A LITTLE JEALOUS

Name: SIR TIM IS A LITTLE JEALOUS
Author: Judith Koppens
ISBN: 978-1-60537-492-5

by Judith Koppens ; illustrated by Eline van Lindenhuizen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2019

The story itself does not add much to the title and cover.

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A child worries that his friend is replacing him but discovers that friends can be shared.

Sir Tim, a white boy wearing a gray, visored helmet and a red cape over his crest-emblazoned sweater, is walking to the playground with his friend Sara, a white girl with blonde hair. When Sara sees her brown-skinned friend Max, she suggests they play together, and “before Tim can say anything, she’s gone.” While Max and Sara run from the swing to the seesaw to the grass having fun, Sir Tim watches them, with “a strange feeling in his tummy.” The text wonders, “Doesn’t Sara like him anymore?” Sir Tim tries stunt after increasingly daring stunt to regain Sara’s attention, but she’s “too busy laughing and playing with Max” to notice. When his final stunt ends with a big fall, Sara finally comes running. Tim reveals his worries to Sara, who assures him she can have more than one friend and he will always be her best friend. This Dutch/Belgian import presents a familiar scenario with a simple story arc and an unsurprising resolution that is almost too easy and, regrettably, seems not to encourage interracial friendships. The child-friendly illustrations use soft lines and smeared colors, with patches of red clothing on gray and green backgrounds. Best for the youngest audiences, this is an adequate treatment of the theme for those whose shelves lack it.

The story itself does not add much to the title and cover. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-60537-492-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clavis

Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
MILA AND HER FRIENDS
by Judith Koppens ; illustrated by Anouk Nijs

- BOOK REVIEW
MILA MISSES MOMMY
by Judith Koppens ; illustrated by Anouk Nijs

- BOOK REVIEW
BENNY WANTS A HAIRCUT
by Judith Koppens ; illustrated by Marja Meijer

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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)