A merely so-so story about thoughtfulness; not as sweet as the titular treats.
Kindness is delicious.
Dexter and twin sister Leah are often at odds, with Leah frequently trying to one-up him. Their parents are preparing a dinner party, and Papa asks them to get eggs from Ms. Marvis, their neighbor. When she invites them in, Dexter observes her house is quiet, empty. Returning home, Dexter mentions this, and the siblings agree Ms. Marvis should come to the party. She regales guests with tales of her long-ago life in Poland and the tradition of making jelly doughnuts there. The next day, the twins help make the luscious pastries and deposit a bag at their neighbor’s door. Additionally, Dexter and Leah build a “snow family” in Ms. Marvis’ yard as “company.” These acts of kindness also serve to disrupt the twins’ squabbling habits. Ms. Marvis’ thank-you letter to the kids for all their kindness follows. In a rushed ending, her missive makes them grateful for their relationship and their doughnut-making skills. This well-meaning tale imparts valuable messages about concern for others, but the writing is stiff and expository. The serviceable, flat, cartoonish illustrations feature mostly White protagonists—there are two Black party guests. Ms. Marvis is depicted as an older, gray-haired, bespectacled woman with a cane. Guided-reading ideas for adults to use with kids precede the story; the backmatter includes kindness-sharing tips.
A merely so-so story about thoughtfulness; not as sweet as the titular treats. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-733-0359-7-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
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
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