A children’s book that imparts key lessons about health without forfeiting an entertaining story.
A sister and brother learn about healthier living through trial and error in this picture book.
Rath (How Full is Your Bucket?, 2015, etc.) tells the story of a village called Verve, in which all the residents are unable to move. That is, until the wind blows young Poppy off a hilltop and she feels a positive charge as she rolls down the hill. She learns that “what you do gives you energy,” and she then rolls an immobile boy, Simon, down the hill to wake him up, as well. Together, Poppy and Simon realize that movement makes them feel better—but that alone isn’t enough for the strip of colored lights on their shirts (signifying their energy levels) to change from red to green. So they try eating different types of foods—first snack foods and soda, then fruits and vegetables—before figuring out that healthful food makes them feel great. But something’s missing, and they quickly realize it’s sleep. Once they put together the equation—“Eat right, move more, and sleep well for energy”—the kids, along with their parents, set off to re-energize the whole village by sharing the lessons they’ve learned. Rath writes in clear prose and asks lots of questions so that kids can work through the problems themselves—“When Poppy and Simon wake up the next morning, they feel even better than they did the day before. Simon looks at Poppy and asks her, ‘Do you think sleeping gave us more energy?’ ” The story’s lesson is straightforward but important, as it teaches kids that taking small steps in their lives can makes them feel better physically and think more clearly. Aón’s (The Lonely Existence of Asteroids and Comets, 2012, etc.) detailed, colorful illustrations, in which the people resemble Pixar characters, will help draw readers in. The book also doubles as a workbook, as Rath lists discussion questions at the end that may help kids talk to parents or teachers about living healthier lives. It also includes stickers to help motivate younger readers, including one with an illustration of a colored-lights strip and one that reads, “I am fully charged!”
A children’s book that imparts key lessons about health without forfeiting an entertaining story.Pub Date: May 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-1939714046
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Missionday
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.
After being home-schooled for years, Auggie Pullman is about to start fifth grade, but he’s worried: How will he fit into middle school life when he looks so different from everyone else?
Auggie has had 27 surgeries to correct facial anomalies he was born with, but he still has a face that has earned him such cruel nicknames as Freak, Freddy Krueger, Gross-out and Lizard face. Though “his features look like they’ve been melted, like the drippings on a candle” and he’s used to people averting their eyes when they see him, he’s an engaging boy who feels pretty ordinary inside. He’s smart, funny, kind and brave, but his father says that having Auggie attend Beecher Prep would be like sending “a lamb to the slaughter.” Palacio divides the novel into eight parts, interspersing Auggie’s first-person narrative with the voices of family members and classmates, wisely expanding the story beyond Auggie’s viewpoint and demonstrating that Auggie’s arrival at school doesn’t test only him, it affects everyone in the community. Auggie may be finding his place in the world, but that world must find a way to make room for him, too.
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder. (Fiction. 8-14)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86902-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
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