A story with distinctive illustrations and a definitive message.
Shy Steve’s life changes after a moment of bravery and the spark of new friendship.
Shy Steve finds comfort in his routine. Every day, he goes to the same coffee shop (where they misspell his name on the cup), goes to the same gloomy office building, and takes the same bus home. On an unusually unpredictable day, Steve meets and then slowly befriends Marianna, who plays her guitar and hums on the bus. Side by side on their ride, he writes lyrics while she plays. Bolstered by his newfound friendship, Shy Steve makes dramatic changes in his life and has a revelation that he should have spoken up for himself long before he did. Spaeth’s unique illustrations are three-dimensional collage, with textured elements like buttons, felt, fabric, yarn stitching, and clay. Shy Steve and the other characters (some human, some animal) appear Claymation-like. Steve has pale skin and fiery red hair with tightly twisted curls, while musician Marianna has brown skin and tightly coiled black hair with purple highlights. Shy Steve works an adult job and has an adult boss, but children will surely relate to his timidity and anxiety. The book has meaningful ideas for little readers to note: One small act of bravery can be enough to positively effect change, and all voices deserve to be heard.
A story with distinctive illustrations and a definitive message. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9781223188614
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paw Prints Publishing/Baker & Taylor
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Totes adorbs.
A cuddly, squishy pug’s puggy-wuggy diary.
Equipped with both #pugunicorn and #pughotdog outfits, pug Baron von Bubbles (aka Bub) is the kind of dog that always dresses to impress. Bub also makes lots of memorable faces, such as the “Hey, you’re not the boss of me!” expression aimed at Duchess, the snooty pink house cat. Some of Bub’s favorite things include skateboarding, a favorite teddy, and eating peanut butter. Bub also loves Bella, who adopted Bub from a fair—it was “love at first sniff.” Together, Bub and Bella do a lot of arts and crafts. Their latest project: entering Bella’s school’s inventor challenge by making a super-duper awesome rocket. But, when the pesky neighborhood squirrel, Nutz, makes off with Bub’s bear, Bub accidentally ruins their project. How will they win the contest? More importantly, how will Bella ever forgive him? May’s cutesy, full-color cartoon art sets the tone for this pug-tastic romp for the new-to–chapter-books crowd. Emojilike faces accentuate Bub’s already expressive character design. Bub’s infectious first-person narration pushes the silly factor off the charts. In addition to creating the look and feel of a diary, the lined paper helps readers follow the eight-chapter story. Most pages have fewer than five sentences, often broken into smaller sections. Additional text appears in color-coded speech bubbles. Bella presents white.
Totes adorbs. (Fiction. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53003-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
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