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GROW GRATEFUL

Name: GROW GRATEFUL
Author: Sage Foster-Lasser
ISBN: 978-1-4338-2903-1

by Sage Foster-Lasser & Jon Lasser ; illustrated by Christopher Lyles ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 2018

Thanks, but no thanks.

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A little girl learns that being grateful is key to being “a happy camper.”

The opening text shifts awkwardly from present to past tense as the narrator, Kiko, shares that she’s excited and nervous about an upcoming overnight school camping trip. The book’s focus is on Kiko’s shifting feelings about the trip, which she ends up enjoying, in large part because she takes the time to feel grateful for small moments while she also absorbs others’ gratitude and thereby feels appreciated. Unfortunately, while Lyles’ illustrations are warm and inviting, the text is far from accessible and engaging. A character named Jasmine is introduced by name on an early spread, but it’s uncertain who she is, as Kiko’s parents tell their daughter that “this trip is for you, Jasmine, and all your classmates and Ms. Cooper.” Is Jasmine a classmate? This isn’t clarified until her third mention several spreads later. Later, a massive text block set against a cloud of steam rising from a cooking pot at the campsite defines what grateful means. This didactic, wordy moment seems downright concise compared to the three-page “reader’s note” at the book’s end. Kiko’s name and physical appearance suggest that she’s of Asian descent, but her parents are white-appearing.

Thanks, but no thanks. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-4338-2903-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association

Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SCIENCES

- BOOK REVIEW
GROW KIND
by Jon Lasser & Sage Foster-Lasser ; illustrated by Christopher Lyles

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

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.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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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)