by Matthew Ward ; illustrated by Scott Magoon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 17, 2023
This high-flying charmer rises to the top.
Who says wings are required to fly? Sometimes an uplifting boost to your spirits is all you need.
The three winged, albeit flightless, avian stars of this empowering picture book feel wistful that they can’t do what most birds do, but their sadness is brief. As they observe their fellow birds flying effortlessly, they’re determined to do it, too, no matter what it takes. They train, exercise, dream, and make literal plans—preparing detailed schematic drawings and blueprints—and also construct models and flying-machine prototypes. Despite their collaborative work and tenacity, however, they sometimes make mistakes and miscalculate, so they haven’t flown…yet. Sometimes they want to give up, but they’re birds and nothing if not, er, dogged and ready for every challenge. Can you guess how this story about cooperation, self-confidence, and sheer persistence ends? Young readers, who will have been rooting for these characters all along, will cheer—as do the other birds—not only for the threesome’s ultimate success, but also for this very simply told tale about perseverance, the steadfast pursuit of dreams, and having an unflagging belief in oneself. The colorful digital illustrations are loaded with warmth and energy, as are the expressive protagonists. These are characters kids will want to emulate as they attempt to spread their own independent wings or try to conquer hurdles they didn’t believe they could.
This high-flying charmer rises to the top. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9780358400059
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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by Matthew Ward
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by Matthew Ward
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
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...
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
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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri
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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings
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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
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