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THE BORA-BORA DRESS

Name: THE BORA-BORA DRESS
Author: Carole Lexa Schaefer
ISBN: 0-7636-1234-0

by Carole Lexa Schaefer & illustrated by Catherine Stock ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2005

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The search for a perfect party dress is the theme of this lyrically told tale of a special dress that brings its own magic to the wearer. Lindsay is an athletic little girl with a wardrobe of jeans and shorts, and she doesn’t care for dresses of any sort, much less a fancy dress-up dress for her aunt’s party. But for this party, only a special dress will do, and Lindsay falls in love with her unique dress made “just for her” in Bora-Bora. Stock’s imaginative watercolors create a persona for the unusual dress, covered with sparkly stars, leaves, fruit and a winking parrot, and the dress helps Lindsay have a magical night at the party, dancing along with the parrot under the stars. One memorable spread shows the girl leaping along the beach, with the swirling dress flowing into the sand, sky and water, and the parrot flying alongside. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005

ISBN: 0-7636-1234-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2005

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
CHICKEN TALK AROUND THE WORLD
by Carole Lexa Schaefer ; illustrated by Pierr Morgan

- BOOK REVIEW
MADE BY HAND
by Carole Lexa Schaefer ; illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CHILDREN'S GARDEN
by Carole Lexa Schaefer ; illustrated by Pierr Morgan

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WHERE ARE YOUR SHOES, MR. BROWN?

by Justin Rhodes ; illustrated by Heather Dickinson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023

Pedestrian.

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Mr. Brown can’t help with farm chores because his shoes are missing—a common occurrence in his household and likely in many readers’ as well.

Children will be delighted that the titular Mr. Brown is in fact a child. After Mr. Brown looks in his closet and sorts through his other family members’ shoes with no luck, his father and his siblings help him search the farm. Eventually—after colorful pages that enable readers to spot footwear hiding—the family gives up on their hunt, and Mr. Brown asks to be carried around for the chores. He rides on his father’s shoulders as Papa gets his work done, as seen on a double-page spread of vignettes. The resolution is more of a lesson for the adult readers than for children, a saccharine moment where father and son express their joy that the missing shoes gave them the opportunity for togetherness—with advice for other parents to appreciate those fleeting moments themselves. Though the art is bright and cheerful, taking advantage of the setting, it occasionally is misaligned with the text (for example, the text states that Mr. Brown is wearing his favorite green shirt while the illustration is of a shirt with wide stripes of white and teal blue, which could confuse readers at the point where they’re trying to figure out which family member is Mr. Brown). The family is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Pedestrian. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 14, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-5460-0389-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals

Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE BEST CHEF IN SECOND GRADE

by Katharine Kenah & illustrated by Abby Carter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2007

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An impending school visit by a celebrity chef sends budding cook Ollie into a tailspin. He and his classmates are supposed to bring a favorite family food for show and tell, but his family doesn’t have a clear choice—besides, his little sister Rosy doesn’t like much of anything. What to do? As in their previous two visits to Room 75, Kenah builds suspense while keeping the tone light, and Carter adds both bright notes of color and familiar home and school settings in her cartoon illustrations. Eventually, Ollie winkles favorite ingredients out of his clan, which he combines into a mac-and-cheese casserole with a face on top that draws delighted praise from the class’s renowned guest. As Ollie seems to do his kitchen work without parental assistance, a cautionary tip or two (and maybe a recipe) might not have gone amiss here, but the episode’s mouthwatering climax and resolution will guarantee smiles of contentment all around. (Easy reader. 6-7)