A reminder that kids with disabilities are the authorities of their own stories.
A child faces gossip from her new classmates.
Though Mazie’s nervous about starting at a new school, she’s excited about making friends. But when she introduces herself, the other kids only stare at her headscarf and eye patch. After the wind sweeps off the tan-skinned child’s headscarf, revealing that she’s bald, Mazie’s racially diverse classmates concoct wild tales. Maybe Mazie was in the circus, and a fire breather burped on her hair. Maybe the eye patch means she’s a pirate! Mazie understands their curiosity is “only natural,” but she’s frustrated that they’d rather gossip than approach her. Finally, with her P.E. teacher’s support, Mazie makes a speech: She’s “as daring as any circus girl” and “fiercer than a pirate,” and if her classmates want to know what happened, “Maybe just ask me!” When they do, the answer depicts a doctor and Mazie, toting an IV, battling a fire-breathing dragon. Unfortunately, the details aren’t specified until the author’s note, where Mazeika explains that the story is based on her experiences with childhood cancer. Though the images contain some clues, omitting mentions of cancer from the primary text risks leaving younger readers still guessing what happened—the very behavior Mazie seeks to stop. Still, the bright, rounded illustrations sympathetically convey Mazie’s emotions, clearly depicting her sadness at her classmates’ rumors and her happiness when they befriend her after learning her story.
A reminder that kids with disabilities are the authorities of their own stories. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: April 22, 2025
ISBN: 9781665949897
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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