Review by New York Times Review
Wells ("Max and Ruby") begins a new series of books that deal with behavioral issues at school; here, the subject is personal space. The book opens with a dinner table conversation in which Lola tells her parents about disruptive Harry and her fellow apple-green alligator classmates. Filled with 21st-century classroom and parental jargon like "thinking chair," "friendly circle" and "'listen up' bell," the story is unabashedly didactic, but for grown-ups, be they frantic or merely concerned, it serves its purpose well MY NAME IS ELIZABETH! By Annika Dunklee. Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. 24 pp. Kids Can Press. $14.95. (Picture book; ages 3 to 7) Myriad iterations of Addison, Brianna and other multisyllabic doozies occupy the top-baby-name list, making it high time for a book that addresses the mispronounced and mistakenly abbreviated name. Elizabeth, adorably illustrated in agreeable orange and robin's egg blue, likes that there is a queen named after her. But she does not like being called Beth, Lizzy, Liz ("It's E-liz-ABETH") or Betsy ("Not. EVEN. CLOSE.") The book itself is close to perfect. A FEW BLOCKS Written and illustrated by Cybèle Young. 48 pp. Groundwood/House of Anansi. $18.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 7) Beautifully illustrated with distinctive etched-paper collages, this is the rare story in which siblings offer mutual support rather than ripping each other to psychological bits. Ferdie doesn't want to go to school, so his big sister Viola coaxes him along. "Ferdie, look!" she says. "I found your superfast cape! Quick - put on your rocket-blaster boots and we'll take off!" Which is just what they do, in a gloriously imaginative meander that celebrates creative play and sibling cooperation in a way that feels very real. LOUISE THE BIG CHEESE AND THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL SMARTY-PANTS By Elise Primavera. Illustrated by Diane Goode. 40 pp. Paula Wiseman/ Simon & Schuster. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 5 and up) This third book about plucky Louise opens at the start of a new school year, with Louise aspiring to straight A's like her big sister Penelope. Unfortunately, she winds up with a strict teacher: Mrs. Pearl would certainly win Tiger Mom's praises with her predilection for high expectations and low grades. Appealing to perfectionists and slackers alike, "Louise" uses humor and bright illustration to teach an important but not always easy lesson about the value of achievement. DEAR BULLY Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories. Edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones. 370 pp. HarperTeen/HarperCollins. $9.99. (Young adult; ages 13 and up) With contributions from popular Y.A. novelists like Alyson Noël, Lisa Yee and Melissa Walker, and from writers that teenagers will remember fondly as part of their earlier years (Jon Scieszka, Mo Willems, R. L. Stine), this anthology of personal essays provides empathetic and heartfelt stories from each corner of the schoolyard: the bullied, the bystander and the bully himself are all represented. Their words will be a welcome palliative or a wise pre-emptive defense against the trials of adolescent social dynamics. PAMELA PAUL ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [August 21, 2011]
Review by Booklist Review
Guess what happened at school today. exclaims little alligator Lola, who describes to her patient parents how her fellow kindergartener Harry disrupted class all day long: he knocked students off their chairs in Friendship Circle; he poked and startled others, who spilled paint and glue on their clothes; and he tackled another, whose glasses snapped in two. After he apologizes to his classmates, his teacher, Miss Harmony, points out. Harry . . . when you use your I'm angry voice to say I'm sorry,' no one believes you. Finally, a student comes up with a brilliant solution to help Harry keep his hands to himself. Although the story has the purposeful tone of bibliotherapy, few picture books directly address the subject of personal space in such an accessible way. Wells' details of the kindergarten classroom are spot-on, and, as always, her illustrations, rendered here in textured mixed-material collages, perfectly capture young children's body language and emotions. A final note abou. creating classroom harmon. closes this first title in the new Kindergators series.--Engberg, Gillia. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This first book in the Kindergators series, which tackles socialization issues, focuses on a familiar figure: the kid who has personal space issues. Harry pokes, pushes, and tackles; he startles one classmate so badly that the victim spills poster paints all over his new clothes (and to add insult to injury, "Benjamin's cubby outfit didn't fit anymore"). Despite repeated admonitions from the firm yet supportive Miss Harmony, Harry seems like a lost cause-until his peers call an "emergency session" of circle time and devise a clever yet compassionate way to teach Harry how to keep a more civil distance. Wells (the Max and Ruby books) takes her time solving the problem that is Harry, and her approach may initially strike some readers as slow and pedantic. But step-by-step, she builds a sense of drama while showing that she knows kindergarten inside and out. Kids will appreciate her faith in their inventiveness and sense of community-and they'll also enjoy the genial, neatly framed collaged images, which use textured materials to convey the alligators' bumpy skin and vibrant wardrobe. Ages 3-6. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-In this first book in a new series, 10 anthropomorphic alligators are challenged when energetic Harry consistently disrupts Miss Harmony's kindergarten class with pokes, various spills, and a general case of "ants in your pants." Since he can't restrict himself to "Shake a hand!" "Hold a hand!" or "Lend a hand!" the teacher tries consequences like jumping jacks and the Thinking Chair. The breakthrough, however, is a classmate's idea for Harry to wear an inner tube to preserve others' personal space. The restriction calms him and ultimately Harry proves his mettle as playground monitor, earning a gold star for the day. The considerate support of classmates, despite their travails with Harry, is endearing. This vibrant picture book has mixed-media illustrations and an afterword offers tips on creating a meaningful conversation about personal space.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Alligator Lola tells her parents about kindergarten classmate Harry, who can't keep his hands to himself at school. Harry first sits in time-out and then has a classroom intervention before learning to respect others' personal space. Wells's mixed-media collages, characteristically expressive and colorful, add welcome pep to the text that, while useful for lesson-teaching, doesn't sound like a kindergartner is narrating. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A reptilian kindergartner who can't keep his hands to himself is the focus of this kickoff to a new series from Wells.Harry is just having fun, being goofy, being the class clown. But none of his classmates see it that way. Not when they are tackled, when spilled glue ruins a gift or when paint wrecks a new shirt. After each episode, the kindly Miss Harmony attempts (and fails) to get Harry to see the error of his ways. Several hastily called "Friendly Circle" meetings allow Harry's classmates to express their frustration with his behavior in positive ways and to give Harry some ideas of what he should do with his hands instead. Nothing works until Babette finds the perfect way to teach Harry about personal space. Like magic, the lesson is learned, and Harry even manages to earn the good-behavior gold star by dismissal time. An afterword gives educators and parents alike some ways to effectively share this book with youngsters. Wells' "kindergators" are delightful alligators, each with a personality all its own. Collaged clothing covers their bumpy-textured alligator skin, which can actually be felt on the front cover.While Wells tidies everything up a bit more neatly than real-life Miss Harmonys are likely to manage, there are some valuable lessons in problem solving and expressing oneself, for both children and educators. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
