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CRANKY MAKES A FRIEND

Name: CRANKY MAKES A FRIEND
Author: Phuc Tran
ISBN: 9780063256309

From the Cranky and Friends series

by Phuc Tran ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2025

An affirming friendship tale and a reminder to embrace oneself.

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In this sequel to Cranky (2023), the grouchy crane returns, with a new character in tow.

The book opens on an optimistic note. Seated at the breakfast table, Cranky cracks a true smile alongside a younger brother; both sport matching yellow and orange paint. The mood shifts swiftly at the Sandbox Hills construction yard when a smaller green crane bursts onto the scene. With his constant stream of chatter and jokes, Lefty is equal parts annoying and earnest as he proclaims, “I’M FOLLOWING CRANKY TODAY SO I CAN LEARN HOW TO BE THE BEST CRANE I CAN BE.” To Cranky’s horror, the newcomer quickly endears himself to the other crew members. Cranky’s insecurity is deeply relatable; feeling left out, the crane attempts to crack fake smiles and tell jokes, to the others’ consternation. (“What’s wrong with your face, Cranky?”) At last, Cranky literally blows a gasket, depicted effectively on a page with a dramatically red backdrop. Friends offer Cranky words of reassurance: “We like you because you’re Cranky. Nobody is like you.” Tran and Oswald plainly demonstrate useful strategies for coping with big feelings, like sitting quietly alone and expressing oneself. Oswald’s chunky illustrations, rooted in primary colors, will engage younger children, while speech bubbles offer older kids that cool comic book feel. Construction puns abound; Cranky frequently resorts to the pseudo-swear “Oh clang it” when frustrated.

An affirming friendship tale and a reminder to embrace oneself. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025

ISBN: 9780063256309

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
CRANKY
by Phuc Tran ; illustrated by Pete Oswald

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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)