Thoroughly opaque.
Best friends forever?
The unnamed first-person narrator loves best friend Jamal, and Jamal loves the narrator, too. It’s difficult to track which child is which in the busy illustrations, and physical attributes that might help with this task are inconsistent from spread to spread. For the most part, however, one child (perhaps the speaker, given how text is placed) is usually a purple hue with orange squiggles for hair while the other appears orange with purple squiggles for hair. What is clear is that the pals like the same things, and they adore each other. They’re sad at the school day’s end because they must say goodbye to each other. The final page reads: “Twins should always stick together.” This concluding spread shows the children, their arms around each other, with the most naturalistic appearance they’ve ever had. One child has dark brown skin and curly, perhaps afro-textured hair while the other has light brown skin, freckles, and similarly curly hair. It’s hard to know what readers will make of this conclusion. Are Jamal and the narrator not, in fact, to be parted at the end of the day? Are they children of separated parents in a custody arrangement that separates them as well? Is “twins” to be read metaphorically? Even fairly sophisticated child readers will find themselves wondering just what’s going on, and the potential racial difference implied in the picture only further complicates the readings they may struggle to apply.
Thoroughly opaque. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77147-366-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
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
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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