Review - Betty Builds It

Betty Builds It
by Julie Hampton
Date: 2019
Publisher: West Margin Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Combining humor and art with STEM subjects of science, technology, and math, Betty Builds It explores a burgeoning friendship between a genius engineering robot girl and her sweet younger brother who just wants to support his sister.

Betty could build just about anything. Whatever she needs, she can make it for herself. But with a screen as her parental unit and her baby brother Toby who can't do much, Betty longs for a friend--so she builds one! While Toby struggles to get his sister's attention, Betty continues to build and build, until finally she realizes what she was looking for was beside her the whole time.

Betty Builds It is a sweet family story of the new friendship between siblings, and also celebrates and promotes women and girls in science.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Betty Builds It reminds me of another robot book I read recently, David Wiesner's Robobaby. In both cases, a younger robot saves the day by offering some much-needed tech suggestions.

To be frank, I don't like either book. Robots can be done well, but the ones in these two books feel particularly soulless. The colour palette in Betty Builds It, mostly oranges and browns, feels somewhat... well, rusty. I guess that makes sense, but the illustrations also seem a bit lifeless because of it.

While the idea of a friend who can make toast whenever you want some is kind of amusing (although, I don't know why a robot would want toast), the rest of the story is predictable and kind of boring. I've read this story before. And I'm still not impressed.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.17 out of 5

Review - Too Much Glue

Too Much Glue
by Jason Lefebvre
illustrated by Zac Retz
Date: 2013
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Although Matty’s art teacher has warned him that too much glue never dries, Matty loves glue. After all, he and his dad make oodles of glue projects at home. One day during art class, Matty finds the fullest bottles of glue, and the fun begins. With a squeeze and a plop, Matty pours a lake of glue before belly-flopping right in the middle and finds himself stuck to the desk. When Matty’s dad arrives at the school, instead of being mad, he celebrates his son’s creativity and calls him a work of art. With vibrant language and artwork and a wild, silly plot, Too Much Glue is sure to appeal to all children who love to get messy.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Let's get one thing straight. Matty is a brat and a narcissist. The book implies he's just really creative, but there's a difference between making accessories with glue-gun glue and intentionally belly-flopping onto a pile of wet glue at school, necessitating everyone else to stop what they're doing and come to your rescue.

The illustrations are great. The story is sort of funny. But I'm not loving the message. Matty faces no consequences for his actions. In fact, he's rewarded for them. (The principal comes the closest to offering some discipline, telling his parents that they should encourage him to use tape instead. But, as we see on the last page, this is only going to lead to more attention-seeking behaviour.)

I don't think I'd recommend this to messy kids. It encourages them to disregard consequences and make a nuisance of themselves. I might recommend it to tidy kids, though, who can appreciate how Matty's behaviour is not appropriate in a school setting.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.83 out of 5

Review - Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex

Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex
by Eva Chen
illustrated by Matthew Rivera
Date: 2020
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Instagram superstar and New York Times bestselling author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes Eva Chen embarks on an all-new picture book venture of jurassic proportions, vibrantly brought to life by Matthew Rivera's rainbow watercolors.

Dinosaurs are awesome. Unicorns are, too. So what happens when you combine the best parts of each?

Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex!

Join Roxy in all her sassy, steak-loving, glittery glory as she learns about the importance of staying true to yourself, celebrating your differences, and finding friends who love you for who you are.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Aside from the colour-popping illustrations and the nice little rundown of various dinosaurs in the back, I'm not sure what this book has going for it. After the initial gimmick of a dinosaur crossed with a unicorn, there's not much else. Roxy has trouble fitting in because she's not like all the other dinosaurs at her school. Apparently, her mom was getting frisky with her food and got pregnant with... wait a minute. It's probably best not to overthink this one. Anyway, Roxy is the only dinosaur-unicorn hybrid... or so she thinks.

I'm not sure what the message is here. It's not quite "be yourself", because that just led to loneliness. It's not "there's a friend out there for everyone", because what are the chances of finding a second creature that shouldn't exist in the first place? Okay, the premise is kind of funny, but it doesn't really go anywhere.

The idea is creative. But it's not quite enough to sustain a whole picture book (at least, not the way it's done here).

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - The Word for Friend

The Word for Friend
by Aidan Cassie
Date: 2020
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

From author/illustrator Aidan Cassie, the creator of Sterling, Best Dog Ever and Little Juniper Makes It Big!, comes The Word for Friend, an adorable and timely picture book story about ways to welcome, friendship, and overcoming language barriers that will connect classmates and cultures alike.

Kemala the pangolin is sure she's going to make friends at her new school in her new country. After all, Kemala loves to talk. The kids at school like talking, too--but their words are all different. This country speaks a language Kemala doesn't know.

At first, no one understands Kemala either. This realization makes her curl into a little ball, like most pangolins do when they're nervous. But a classmate helps draw her out with an art project that doubles as a vocabulary exchange. Soon, Kemala is learning the most universal language of all: friendship.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Here's yet another delightful offering from Aidan Cassie. Kemala is a pangolin who's just moved to a new country. When she realizes that none of the kids at school speak her language, she clams up and curls into a ball. But an anteater named Ana soon draws her out of her shell, and the two discover that friendship is a language that they can both share.

Adding a smattering of Esperanto, the book also offers a few facts about pangolins. But it's really the story and illustrations that are the real draw here. Like Sterling, Best Dog Ever and Little Juniper Makes It Big!, The Word for Friend features a cast of adorable characters with wonderful facial expressions, and charming settings for them to play in.

I think Cassie has quickly become one of my favourite picture-book authors. Though she's only released three books so far, they're all wonderful. I can't wait to see what's next!

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 5/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Review - Unicorns Are the Worst!

Unicorns Are the Worst!
by Alex Willan
Date: 2020
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Perfect for fans of Dragons Love Tacos and Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great, this wildly funny and imaginative picture book celebrates the value of differences as a grumpy goblin gets to know his new unicorn neighbors.

It’s an undeniable fact that unicorns are the worst!

Magic is serious business, but all unicorns do is frolic around, have tea parties, and leave glitter all over the place! They’re nothing like goblins—practical and hard-working, who can put magic to good use! Unicorns aren’t helpful at all.

Or are they?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

There's not really anything objectively wrong with this. I just didn't find it that exciting. Basically, a jealous goblin explains all the reasons why unicorns are the worst, only to have to eat his words when the unicorns save his bacon from a dragon.

Stereotypes and commercial tropes about unicorns are heavily employed here (down to the glitter... and I have a feeling the print version of this book is very sparkly). These unicorns are basically frivolous horses with horns who like to play harps and have tea parties. If that kind of unicorn is your thing, you might like this one.

I'd probably only recommend this to die-hard unicorn fans. There's not much of a story, and the goblin's whining gets old after the first few pages.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert, Is a Detective Genius

Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert, Is a Detective Genius
by Morag Hood
illustrated by Ella Okstad
Date: 2019
Publisher: Aladdin
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Sophie Johnson studied very hard to become a detective and it's a good thing she did – there has been a terrible crime!

Someone has stolen Lion's tail. Unfortunately, this means that Sophie doesn't have time to train her new (and not very good) assistant, Bella.

However, is it possible that, while Sophie is busy rounding up suspects, she doesn't see that Bella may be better than she thinks?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I liked the first Sophie Johnson book much better than this one.

Sophie's still oblivious, and there is a unicorn in here, but... it's mainly a story about her dog, Bella. While Sophie is trying to solve a "crime", Bella has already solved it. And the dog also manages to thwart three burglars at the same time.

I did not like the burglar aspect. Sophie and her baby sibling are at home, seemingly alone, when three men break in. I don't care that they're dressed like elves; it's still creepy (perhaps more creepy because they're dressed like elves)! Rather than doing what a child should do in such a situation (call 911), Sophie is shown being completely oblivious while the men break into the house. Bella catches them, but in an unrealistic way involving banana peels and cookware. I'm not sure what the message is supposed to be here, and making light of a terrifying situation seems a little irresponsible.

The schtick worked in the first book where Sophie was oblivious about the unicorn in her own house. (The same unicorn is here, and she still seems not to have noticed!) But being oblivious about home invaders? That just doesn't work in a children's book.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3 out of 5

Review - Margaret's Unicorn

Margaret's Unicorn
by Briony May Smith
Date: 2020
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

A perfect gift for the unicorn lovers in your life, this lovely and utterly transporting picture book tells the story of what every little girl wishes would happen to her: a girl finds and takes care of a lost baby unicorn.

Margaret's whole world changes when her family moves to a cottage by the sea to be near her grandma. One evening, Margaret spots a mist over the water. No, that's not mist...clouds maybe? No, they're unicorns descending onto the shore! They vanish as quickly as they'd appeared, but accidentally leave behind a baby, tangled in the weeds. Margaret, lonely and in need of a friend, brings him home and cares for him through the fall and winter. Together, they chase the waves, stomp on frozen puddles, and build snow unicorns. When spring finally comes around, and the other unicorns return, Margaret's takes her small friend back to his family... but these two won't forget one another. And though Margaret misses him, she has made a new friend, and her new cottage is starting to feel like home. With all the feel of a classic, here is a picture book young readers will want to revisit again and again.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is probably the best picture book I've read all year, and the strongest unicorn book I've ever read.

Margaret has just moved with her parents to a small village to be near her grandmother. She's a bit lonely. When her parents suggest she explores, she witnesses a herd of unicorns galloping through the mist. Margaret is surprised to find that a little baby unicorn has been left behind. She takes him under her wing, and the two spend a magical winter together as they wait for spring--and the return of the other unicorns.

The story is simple and sweet, and the illustrations are just gorgeous. Light is used to great effect and highlights the sensory impressions of the changing seasons. The little unicorn is the traditional Scottish kind, with cloven hooves and tasselled tail. The setting of the story, in fact, looks decidedly Scottish, with its hills full of thistles and heather.

This is a definite must-read for unicorn lovers, as well as those looking for stories about magic, friendship, and adapting to a new home.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.83 out of 5