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THE PROTEST

Name: THE PROTEST
Author: Samantha Thornhill
ISBN: 978-1-64379-208-8

From the Confetti Kids series

by Samantha Thornhill ; illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 12, 2021

Another solid addition to an excellent, diverse early-reader series.

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Can Lily and her friends save the community garden?

In a plot point that recalls the Joni Mitchell line “They paved paradise / and put up a parking lot,” Lily (who presents as a child of color with brown skin and curly brown hair in Ng-Benitez’s outstanding illustrations) is sad to learn that their community garden will be demolished to make way for a parking lot. After talking with her mom (who shares her coloring), Lily organizes a protest with the multiracial group of friends introduced on the title page and featured throughout this series. They create posters, talk with neighbors, invite reporters, and make up a chant: “No, cars no! Let our garden grow!” In an almost happily-ever-after—and respectfully realistic—resolution, a neighbor gets a call during the rally and reports that “the builders would wait until next year to build the parking lot.” Lily resolves to fight on, but for now the community is happy they’ve saved the garden. Ng-Benitez also illustrates a simultaneously publishing companion title, Pablo’s Pet, which lends the series a sense of artistic cohesion. Author Sheri Tan’s text in Pablo’s Pet sensitively recounts the Latinx protagonist dealing with grief over the death of his pet fish, with help from friends and family.

Another solid addition to an excellent, diverse early-reader series. (activity page) (Early reader. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-64379-208-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Lee & Low Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE GRIP
by Marcus Stroman with Samantha Thornhill

- BOOK REVIEW
A CARD FOR MY FATHER
by Samantha Thornhill ; illustrated by Morgan Clement

- PERSPECTIVES
6 Books That Will Inspire Young Activists

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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)