Review by Booklist Review
Best friends Agnes (a pig) and Clarabelle (a chicken) star in a new chapter-book series for newly independent readers. In this first installment, organized by seasons, the duo plans a party, takes a trip to the beach, shops for shoes, and makes a pizza. Each short chapter is an individual episode in which one friend takes charge and the other experiences a fear or dilemma: Clarabelle worries that her not-so-surprise birthday party won't work out; Agnes doesn't like new places, especially the beach; Clarabelle gets lost in a department store; and Agnes finds their pizza too beautiful to eat. Designed for readers just graduating from leveled readers, this has sturdy paper; plentiful, full-color illustrations; large type; and lots of dialogue. The simple but sometimes lengthy sentences occasionally break across the page turn, and some words will be new to beginning readers, though they're likely to have heard them. Humor mixes with these relatable tales of friendship, making this series starter fine fodder for fledgling readers.--Isaacs, Kathleen Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Over four stories, one for each season, Griffin (the Oodlethunks series) and Sheinmel (the Stella Batts series) introduce friends Agnes, a pig, and Clarabelle, a chicken. Both pals have moments of adventurousness and trepidation at various points, and a slightly daffy air pervades all four tales: Clarabelle is highly involved in planning her own surprise birthday party, and the friends opt to sunbathe in the parking lot during a summer trip to the beach, since Agnes isn't a fan of unfamiliar places. The story arcs aren't always entirely satisfying, but there's plenty to enjoy in this friendship guided by compromise, which gains added cheeriness from Palacios's full-color illustrations. Available simultaneously: Agnes and Clarabelle Celebrate! Ages 5-7. Author's agent: (for Griffin) Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management; (for Sheinmel) Laura Dail, Laura Dail Literary. Illustrator's agent: Kendra Marcus, Bookstop Literary. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-This new title in the "Read & Bloom" line of Bloomsbury's early chapter books follows two unusual best friends, a chicken named Clarabelle and a pig named Agnes. Clarabelle is afraid of new things and a bit of a worrywart, while Agnes relishes challenges and enjoys helping her feathered friend. The book is divided into four chapters-one for each season of the year. Whether at the beach or shopping for shoes in a large department store, Agnes helps Clarabelle overcome her fear of new situations and find the bright side. Cheerful, full-color illustrations grab the attention of newly independent readers, while the short, episodic chapters move at a good pace. The ratio of illustrations to text varies to include pages of text only, illustration only, and a mixture; the variety helps pull readers along. VERDICT An engaging visual design, charming characters, and funny, relatable story lines make this a lovely addition to chapter book collections.-Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN © Copyright 2015. 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.
