While it encourages family exercise, this tale presents a puzzling transformation.
A student learns a surprising lesson about his African American grandmother’s capabilities in this debut children’s book.
Jacob, the young African American narrator of this tale, isn’t as excited as his classmates about an upcoming Family Exercise Day. His only relative is his Grandma Mable, who has white hair, sore knees, and sometimes walks with the help of a cane. Jacob is doubtful she can participate, but his grandmother says she’ll do her best. On the big day, Jacob, Grandma, and their dog, Friendly, head to the park and take on a series of challenges. For each one, Jacob asks “Grandma Mable, are you able?” The energetic activities include running, skateboarding, and kicking a ball. In every case, Grandma shows herself to be a real contender; she even performs a cartwheel. In fact, she outdoes injury- and accident-prone Jacob, who is more used to playing video games than exercising. Grandma explains that she’s used to hard work and has stayed fit so she can be strong for Jacob. She praises his efforts, and the two plan to exercise weekly. In her story, Wright offers an amusing, turn-the-tables scenario and a warm family relationship that parentless kids who live with relatives will likely appreciate. That said, Grandma’s sudden metamorphosis from a cane-using elderly woman into a spry, cartwheeling exercise enthusiast doesn’t make much sense. The book’s prose poem style is also rather odd since the rhyme has no regular scheme or meter and doesn’t break into lines or stanzas, as in “The day wasn’t done. We had to finish even in the hot sun.” The images by Blueberry Illustrations have a flat, generic quality with little detail, although they do depict a racially diverse set of characters.
While it encourages family exercise, this tale presents a puzzling transformation.Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9703551-5-7
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A fine emotional stretch within reach of the intended audience.
When siblings Jessie and Evan (The Lemonade War, 2007, and The Lemonade Crime, 2011) accompany their mother on the time-honored midwinter holiday visit to their grandmother’s home in the mountains, the changes are alarming.
Fire damage to the house and Grandma’s inability to recognize Evan are as disquieting as the disappearance of the iron bell, hung long ago by their grandmother on Lowell Hill and traditionally rung at the New Year. Davies keeps a tight focus on the children: Points of view switch between Evan, with his empathetic and emotional approach to understanding his world, and Jessie, for whom routine is essential and change a puzzle to be worked out. When Grandma ventures out into the snow just before twilight, it is Evan who realizes the danger and manages to find a way to rescue her. Jessie, determined to solve the mystery of the missing bell, enlists the help of Grandma's young neighbor Maxwell, with his unusual habitual gestures and his surprising ability to solve jigsaw puzzles. She is unprepared, however, for the terror of seeing the neighbor boys preparing a mechanical torture device to tear a live frog to pieces. Each of the siblings brings a personal resilience and heroism to the resolution.
A fine emotional stretch within reach of the intended audience. (Fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-547-56737-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The second installment in this spirited series is a hit.
A new baby coming means Ryan has lots of opportunities to grow love.
Ryan has so much to look forward to this summer—she is going to be a big sister, and she finally gets to go to church camp! But new adventures bring challenges, too. Ryan feels like the baby is taking forever to arrive, and with Mom on bed rest, she isn’t able to participate in the family’s typical summer activities. Ryan’s Dad is still working the late shift, which means he gets home and goes to bed when she and her older brother, Ray, are waking up, so their quality daddy-daughter time is limited to one day a week. When the time for camp finally arrives, Ryan is so worried about bugs, ghosts, and sharing a cabin that she wonders if she should go at all. Watson’s heroine is smart and courageous, bringing her optimistic attitude to any challenge she faces. Hard topics like family finances and complex relationships with friends are discussed in an age-appropriate way. Watson continues to excel at crafting a sense of place; she transports readers to Portland, Oregon, with an attention to detail that can only come from someone who has loved that city. Ryan, her family, and friends are Black, and occasional illustrations by Mata spotlight their joy and make this book shine.
The second installment in this spirited series is a hit. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0058-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
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