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ANONYMOOSE

Name: ANONYMOOSE
Author: Shawna J.C. Tenney
ISBN: 9781506497648

by Shawna J.C. Tenney ; illustrated by Shawna J.C. Tenney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

The fine message here: Don’t shy away from the chance to be and have a good friend.

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Stepping out is better than hiding out.

Ana Moose prefers being alone. She doesn’t have to worry about finding the right thing to say or being picked last for teams. Blending into her surroundings, she dubs herself Anonymoose. Then she sees her classmate Peter, a porcupine, building a fort and wishes she could share her own architectural ideas without revealing herself. So, day after day, Ana leaves sketches from “Anonymoose” around; Peter incorporates her plans into his creation. Ana enjoys watching the fort improving daily. Then her best idea strikes: a tall tower. Is she brave enough to tell Peter personally? Nah. Ana shares her brainstorm the usual way; Peter adds it. Alas, he tumbles and gets hurt, and the fort crashes to the ground. Ana’s dilemma: Reveal herself and help or remain concealed? While she’s thinking, Peter limps off. Next day, Ana hides again, waiting for Peter to return; he doesn’t. Remorseful, Ana slowly emerges from seclusion and attempts to rebuild the fort, unaware that Peter’s actually nearby, observing. Together, they re-create—no, improve on—the original, and they bond. Ana’s no longer Anonymoose. This sweet story reassures readers that shyness is OK and can be overcome. Peter’s fort serves as a metaphor for the walls we sometimes build to shield ourselves from relationships. The colorful, charming illustrations exude lively fun. Ana and Peter are very endearing, relatable protagonists.

The fine message here: Don’t shy away from the chance to be and have a good friend. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024

ISBN: 9781506497648

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Beaming Books

Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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BLOOD! NOT JUST A VAMPIRE DRINK
by Stacy McAnulty ; illustrated by Shawna J.C. Tenney

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BRUNHILDA'S BACKWARDS DAY
by Shawna J.C. Tenney ; illustrated by Shawna J.C. Tenney

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THE WORLD NEEDS THE WONDER YOU SEE

by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.

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Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.

There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9781400247417

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORLD NEEDS WHO YOU WERE MADE TO BE
by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

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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)