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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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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)