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FIGHTING WORDS

Name: FIGHTING WORDS
Author: Leonarda Carranza
ISBN: 9781773219011

by Leonarda Carranza ; illustrated by Erika Medina ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 17, 2024

A perceptive consideration of the effects of anger—and a much-needed blueprint for how to deal with them.

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A boy’s anger literally buzzes to life and runs amok in the shape of words.

When Ali notices his cousin Ama mistreating his insect book, he moves to snatch it from her hands. During the skirmish, a page gets ripped out. In anger, Ali lets loose a yell; scrawled letters unexpectedly fill the air. His rage builds until he screams, “I HATE YOU!!!” The anthropomorphized letters quickly jump into action, attacking Ama and tearing up the couch and Abuelita’s special cushions. Despite Ali’s objections, the letters continue their fiendish assault. Soon, the devious letters go outside, smashing bushes and flowers. One letter even attempts to hurt a bee! Inspired by his insect book and joined by Ama and Abuelita, Ali rushes to stop the letters with a net, learning how best to release his anger along the way. Adopting a refreshingly empathetic perspective, Carranza adroitly depicts Ali’s transformation. The child’s wrath turns to observation—of the impact of hurtful words uttered amid a cloud of pain—and then to a recognizable potential to undo unintended emotional wounds while still acknowledging that initial anger. Overall, it’s an excellent message to potential anger-prone readers, wrapped in an understanding tone. Medina’s brisk, dynamic artwork whisks the action from page to page, boasting humorous creature letters with mean smiles and gruff frowns. The brown-skinned characters read as Latine.

A perceptive consideration of the effects of anger—and a much-needed blueprint for how to deal with them. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024

ISBN: 9781773219011

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Annick Press

Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
ABUELITA AND ME
by Leonarda Carranza ; illustrated by Rafael Mayani

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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)