Review by Booklist Review
Shy nine-year-old Martina doesn't have her brothers' talents for making new friends or being noticed, and she spends most of her time entertaining herself with her fabulous sticker collection. That all changes when her dad comes home with a superspecial gift stickers that come to life. Her secret new pals, among whom are a sleepy fairy and a talking chocolate cupcake, work their magic to help her make new friends and come out of her shell. Her cupcake sticker in particular puts her in situations where she is forced to socialize with new people. Tashjian's peppy story is packed with adorably upbeat illustrations of Martina and her stickers, as well as jaunty sound-effect words and doodled accents. In her easy-to-read first-person narrative, Latina Martina reveals not only her passion for cute stickers but also her struggle with social anxiety, which gives the fluffy-looking book a healthy dose of emotional heft. This breezy, brief novel has a happy ending, of course, but there's also a cliff-hanger, which ensures more magic-sticker adventures for Martina down the road.--Pino, Kristina Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Nine-year-old Marti, the middle child in a warm and boisterous Latino family, is so shy that she can barely speak at school. Marti desperately wants friends, but has trouble reaching out to the kids in her class. Instead she spends her time on her favorite hobby: stickers. When her father returns from a business trip with a sheet of stickers for Marti, given to him by a mysterious old woman, she is shocked to see them come to life. These magical stickers yield an offbeat set of characters including a lazy fairy, a blunt cupcake, and a karaoke-singing ladybug, all of whom help Marti find the strength to make friends and come out of her shell. Tashjian (the Einstein the Class Hamster series) sympathetically portrays the fears that can derail an otherwise confident girl like Marti, whose emotional journey is both realistic and humorous, as when Craig the cupcake impersonates Marti's voice to invite her entire class to a party. Newcomer Wilmink's emoji-cute illustrations, not all seen by PW, play well with the upbeat tone of this satisfying series kickoff. Ages 8-12. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-After a year in her new town, Martina is still trying to make friends. She is extremely shy, which prevents her from speaking in class or making overtures to her classmates. Although Martina has a loving family, with an older teen brother and a rambunctious two-year-old brother, she is often overlooked. She relies on her hobby of sticker collecting and imaginary play and calls herself "Sticker Girl." But playing with stickers takes on a whole new meaning when Martina peels a sticker from a sheet given to her by her father. With a cascade of confetti and a bang, the rainbow sticker becomes a real glittering rainbow in the middle of her room. Martina is dazzled by the possibilities. She finds that the cupcake sticker speaks and is named Craig. Craig the cupcake soon becomes her constant companion. At school, Craig intervenes and replies for Martina when she is tongue-tied, so she ends up working on a team with two popular, fair-haired kids. Martina develops a friendship with her teammates and is at times helped hilariously by mischievous and misbehaving sticker pals, especially when she tries to use their magical abilities to help solve her real-world problems. Martina is an appealing character and expresses her thoughts and fears in an intelligent and approachable manner. Her Latina heritage is well portrayed, and some common Spanish words are used in the text. Font changes and charming sticker drawings will appeal to readers. This is a fun tale about a shy, introverted child who finally manages to leave her fantasy realm for the real world, though perhaps not completely. The discovery of another set of possibly magic stickers at the end sets the stage for a sequel. VERDICT A good book for similarly shy youngsters or those who like a lighthearted story about overcoming adversity.-Gretchen Crowley, formerly at Alexandria City Public Libraries, VA © Copyright 2016. 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
Painfully shy Martina Rivera's only friends are the stickers she collects--until some unusual additions help her overcome her fears. POOF!: these stickers (including a sleepy fairy and a sassy cupcake named Craig) come to life and creatively help "Sticker Girl" show her fun-loving "inner world" to the outer one. An appealing fantasy for young middle graders, especially the bashful; stickers included. (c) Copyright 2017. 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
Tashjian introduces a smart, young Latina protagonist in a strong series opener for young readers.Shy, brown-skinned, 9-year-old sticker-enthusiast Martina Rivera moved with her family to Los Angeles less than a year ago, and she still hasnt collected the courage to make any school friends. When Martinas dad returns from a business trip, he hands Martina a new sheet of stickers. An amazed Martina discovers that the stickers magically come to life, with sound effects: Whoosh! Poof! Bang! Friendships emerge with a cast of magical, shenanigan-prone pals: Craig, a caring yet curmudgeonly cupcake; Lucinda, a whimsical, seemingly perpetually sleepy fairy; Nora, a kind ladybug with a karaoke machine; a trio of rambunctious, playful puppies; and Evelyn, a pink Pegasus, among other lively stickers. For Martina, making friends at school is no piece of (cup)cake, especially when she gets paired with two extroverted white classmates, Bev Swanson and Mike Belmont. Narrated by Martina with some Spanish interspersed, the story has a fast-paced plotline and well-developed characters. With humor, delicacy, and creativity, Tashjian folds in cultural and socio-economic references to develop Martina and her family while also inserting fun and informative scientific facts gleaned from Martinas lessons at school. Clouds, confetti, stars, and bubble-shaped letters accompany Wilminks grayscale depictions and match the sticker motif without being overbearing. Readers will be eager for the follow-up adventures of Sticker Girl. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
