There’s really only one reason to read this book: it’s a hoot.
A filth-encrusted gamin ticks off precisely why a trip to the tub is not on the list of priorities.
Sporting grimy skin and twiggy hair, a brown-haired, fair-skinned child decides to list the 101 reasons why bathing is not an appealing option. Starting with “I’m not dirty” and proceeding from there, the grubby kid plays every card in the deck. McAnulty manages to keep the action hopping in a narrative that really is just a very long list. There are the expected excuses (“Monsters live in the drain”), the unexpected (“I have a self-cleaning button like the oven”—that would be a bellybutton), and the downright clever (“Most household accidents happen in the bathroom. Scientific fact!”). When confronted with the kicker that only 88 reasons have been listed (a sly twist adults won’t see coming), the child responds with an additional 13 repetitions of “I don’t want to” (the title of the book isn’t 101 Unique Reasons Why I’m NOT Taking a Bath, after all). In the end bathtime is achieved, and the child has a sudden change of heart. Ang provides a peppy visual narrative to pair with the extensive monologue, though, alas, the art never quite reaches the levels of eclectic, original insanity the text leaves openings for.
There’s really only one reason to read this book: it’s a hoot. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-385-39189-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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