bookshelf

THE UGLY DUMPLING

Name: THE UGLY DUMPLING
Author: Stephanie Campisi
ISBN: 978-1-938063-67-1

by Stephanie Campisi ; illustrated by Shahar Kober ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2016

Quirky retellings often lean on clever titles alone, but this surpasses and delights.

bookshelf

A bright, multicultural twist on a classic tale.

At a local dim sum restaurant, a tiny dumpling sits, sad and alone. Although it is quite an adorable little ball of dough, it does not look like any of the other dumplings. It tries everything it can think of to fit in, even wearing pleated pants to mimic the others’ wrinkly exteriors, but nothing works. It is always pushed to the side—until a cockroach sees it and falls in love. The cockroach takes the dumpling on an incredible adventure through the restaurant, scaling tall mountains of flour, surfing down a splash of tea, and gazing at the blazing sunset (or fire from a wok). The dumpling learns of beauty and acceptance. But then the dumpling sees something else. Other dumplings! That look exactly like it! They are not, in fact, dumplings at all, but steamed buns. The dumpling finally finds its place in the world. But how will the cockroach fit in? Specifically told without gendered pronouns, this is simply a story about love. Kober’s illustrations are characterized by delicious changes in perspective, and Campisi’s sly, humorous asides ensure that the message of identity is not heavy-handed: “The ugly dumpling was overjoyed. / It puffed with meaning. / It puffed with importance / and yeast.”

Quirky retellings often lean on clever titles alone, but this surpasses and delights. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 7, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-938063-67-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Mighty Media

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
QUACKS LIKE A DUCK
by Stephanie Campisi ; illustrated by Maria Lebedeva

- BOOK REVIEW
AXOLOTLS
by Stephanie Campisi ; illustrated by Susanna Covelli

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE SISTERS
by Stephanie Campisi ; illustrated by Madalina Andronic

bookshelf

HELLO THERE, SUNSHINE

by Tabitha Brown ; illustrated by Olivia Duchess ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.

bookshelf

Actor, social media star, and entrepreneur Brown pens a joyful paean to positive thinking in her children’s debut.

Brown-skinned Tab rides a strawberry-themed bike, accompanied by a curly-haired black dog, Grady. Tab’s dazzling smile and wide eyes signal the upbeat theme echoed in the text, celebrating the sun’s warmth, which “fills everyone up with joy.” But Tab’s mood shifts, as it’s a “cloudy and gray” June day. Alert readers will spot the dog’s smiling countenance and note glimpses of sunny yellow butterflies and flowers. Mama’s reassurance that there’s “always a chance” for sunshine also underscores the optimism. Tab and Grady bike through suburban streets “to find the sun.” Along the way, the two stop to assist a neighbor building a birdhouse, loft a kite for friends Frankie and Fonte, and lend a hand to others, all while still having fun. Mama steers Tab toward an eventual understanding of the real source of joy: Though the sun didn’t appear, “I brightened everyone’s day!” The illustrations subtly underscore the message of this radiant story as touches of gold lighten the palette, which ends with sunny brilliance. Most characters read Black, though Tab’s community includes people who vary in skin tone, body type, and ability.

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 11, 2025

ISBN: 9780063342262

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 21, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

bookshelf

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...

bookshelf

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)