An encouraging message in a quirky package.
Molly Lou Melon uses her voice to stand up for a new friend 19 years after she learned to stand up for herself.
Molly Lou Melon, “a tiny girl with a big, deep-down heart,” is true to herself, as her mother tells her to be. She accepts people for who they are, and she uses her strong voice to “speak up for anyone who might need [her] help.” At school, when Bettina Bonklehead teases Molly Lou and her friend Ronald with “kissy-kissy boyfriend-girlfriend,” Molly Lou defends their friendship. When Bettina teases the new boy, Molly Lou defends him and asks him to play at recess. After standing up for him ferociously, Molly Lou leads her friends in giving mean Bettina the option of being a friend too. Lovell’s text places this strong protagonist at the centers of a loving family and friend group, making her a role model for readers, with her fearless standing up and speaking out. Catrow’s illustrations are borderline fantastical, with birds riding in toy trains and Molly Lou wearing a backpack thrice her size. The ponytail (sometimes multiple) that sticks out beyond her Afro is a superlatively odd touch. Molly Lou has beige skin, and the very odd-looking new boy has brown skin while the other kids, no more peculiar in aspect than Catrow’s typical kewpie, seem to have pale skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 63.9% of actual size.)
An encouraging message in a quirky package. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-399-26002-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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