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MY BEST FRIEND'S BANGLES

Name: MY BEST FRIEND'S BANGLES
Author: Thushanthi Ponweera
ISBN: 9781665921718

by Thushanthi Ponweera ; illustrated by Maithili Joshi ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2024

A moving story about friendship, heartache, and making amends.

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A cherished friendship is rocked by jealousy.

Selvi and Divya do everything together. They bike to school, play dress-up, and share meals; they both deeply miss their mothers. The children’s ammas work overseas as domestic helpers, returning home once a year. One day, Selvi notices Divya’s new rainbow bangles—a present from her mother, who’s just come home. The clinking bangles remind Selvi of Amma’s absence. When Divya tries to share her bangles, Selvi yells and throws them away. Remorseful, Selvi later approaches Divya’s house, but the sound of laughter makes Selvi wonder if Divya really needs a friend now that she has her mother. Selvi is starting to bike away slowly in the falling rain when Divya suddenly shows up. Selvi apologizes: “I just wish my amma came back too.” Divya slides some of her bangles onto Selvi’s hand: “Now we’ll each have our own rainbow for gloomy days.” Sensing the quiet note in Divya’s voice, Selvi asks if her mother is leaving. As the sun comes out, Divya smiles and says that Selvi’s mother will be home soon with presents to share. This lyrical story, set in a Sri Lankan tea plantation, reflects the reality of many children who grow up with a parent who works far away. The children’s deep bond, briefly fractured by feelings of jealousy, shines throughout the thoughtful writing. Colorful illustrations capture their lush surroundings and moments of joy and sadness.

A moving story about friendship, heartache, and making amends. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: June 11, 2024

ISBN: 9781665921718

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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)