July 1, 2025 by Candlewick
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
A little girl has her week all mapped out, as she spends time with different caregivers doing different activities. She is in day care on Mondays with her friends, and her babysitter takes her to dance class at the end of the day on Tuesday. Her mother's day off is Wednesday, so the two spend lots of quality time together. On Thursday she goes to the library with her babysitter and thinks about lots of things, and hangs out with friends on Friday. Saturdays are set aside for her grandmother and grandfather, and she visits with her father on Sundays, and the two go to the park with their dog. The girl likes all of the days, and finds it hard to pick a favorite, and at the end, encourages readers to think about what they do every day.
The multicultural cast is shown having fun in lots of different settings. Adults will know that the girl's mother has put a lot of thought into who will care for the girl when the mother is at work, but young readers will just enjoy the variety of outings the girl gets to take. It was nice to see that the girl was happy with her situation for each day, with the possible exception of Monday. She starts the day with moping because the weekend is over, but soon warms up and enjoys playing with her friends.
Sterling's pencil illustrations are digitally colored, and have a lot of detail. It's fun to look at the background and see all of the little details, like flowers growing on the roof of the school or different books in the library, like Jarvis' The Boy with Flowers in His Hair.
One of my favorite books as a child was Fiedler's My Special Day, mainly because it offered a simple look at one girl's activities during an ordinary day. This is a similar slice of life tale that also reminded me a bit of LaRocca's Mauntie and Me, which also details time spent with a variety of relatives and friends in routine settings.
Michalak, Jamie and Myers, Matt (illus.) Hazel the Handful
April 1, 2025 by Candlewick Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
A little girl has her week all mapped out, as she spends time with different caregivers doing different activities. She is in day care on Mondays with her friends, and her babysitter takes her to dance class at the end of the day on Tuesday. Her mother's day off is Wednesday, so the two spend lots of quality time together. On Thursday she goes to the library with her babysitter and thinks about lots of things, and hangs out with friends on Friday. Saturdays are set aside for her grandmother and grandfather, and she visits with her father on Sundays, and the two go to the park with their dog. The girl likes all of the days, and finds it hard to pick a favorite, and at the end, encourages readers to think about what they do every day.
The multicultural cast is shown having fun in lots of different settings. Adults will know that the girl's mother has put a lot of thought into who will care for the girl when the mother is at work, but young readers will just enjoy the variety of outings the girl gets to take. It was nice to see that the girl was happy with her situation for each day, with the possible exception of Monday. She starts the day with moping because the weekend is over, but soon warms up and enjoys playing with her friends.
Sterling's pencil illustrations are digitally colored, and have a lot of detail. It's fun to look at the background and see all of the little details, like flowers growing on the roof of the school or different books in the library, like Jarvis' The Boy with Flowers in His Hair.
One of my favorite books as a child was Fiedler's My Special Day, mainly because it offered a simple look at one girl's activities during an ordinary day. This is a similar slice of life tale that also reminded me a bit of LaRocca's Mauntie and Me, which also details time spent with a variety of relatives and friends in routine settings.
April 1, 2025 by Candlewick Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Hazel is a tiny dog who loves to hang out with her girl, Bea, and be the center of attention, as is the right of all adorable tiny dogs. As the two go through their day, going on walks, taking twenty-four naps, having photo shoots, and sharing meals, Hazel is well aware that she is living her best life. This wonderful existence comes to a halt when a screeching baby is introduced to the mix. The baby cries, stinks, and worst of all, becomes the new center of attention. From capturing everyone's complements to commandeering Hazel's favorite toys, the new baby changes Hazel's everyday life in ways that are just not okay. The worst part is that Bea seems to like the baby, perhaps more than Hazel! When a family picture ends in disaster, Hazel runs away and hides, sure she is in trouble. When she hears Bea crying, upset that her beloved pet is gone, Hazel runs out to rejoin her girl, and starts to realize that perhaps the new baby isn't so terrible. After all, he does leave a trail of food in his wake!
Hazel is a very tiny dog who looks to be at least part Yorkshire Terrier, and Myers' illustrations are quite adorable, which immediately made me sympathetic to the dog who has to deal with a stinky new baby. Young readers who might be struggling with an interloper of their own will understand Hazel's objections, but will perhaps see that these are not as horrible as the seem at first. Hopefully, this will soften their feelings for a new sibling as well.
The watercolor and ink illustrations give this a warm, autumnal feeling, and I loved all of the details about the pleasures in Hazel's life. Comfy chairs and blankets, a strong routine, and lots of supportive family members make Hazel and Bea feel loved. Bea's grandmother even knits boots for Hazel when she is knitting things for the baby! Hazel has some favorite toys, although I'm not entirely sure that sharing her stuffed frog and pig with the baby is the best idea, beneficial dog bacteria not withstanding!
There are a number of books that combine new siblings and animals, so it's not hard to find a book to help older children accept a new family member. Hazel's antics, however, are particularly clever, so this is a fun book to add to the mix along with Nelson's Dog's First Baby, Bright's My Sister is an Alien, Nichols and Taylor's No, Baby, No, and Harper and McQuillan's It's Not Fair.
Hazel is a tiny dog who loves to hang out with her girl, Bea, and be the center of attention, as is the right of all adorable tiny dogs. As the two go through their day, going on walks, taking twenty-four naps, having photo shoots, and sharing meals, Hazel is well aware that she is living her best life. This wonderful existence comes to a halt when a screeching baby is introduced to the mix. The baby cries, stinks, and worst of all, becomes the new center of attention. From capturing everyone's complements to commandeering Hazel's favorite toys, the new baby changes Hazel's everyday life in ways that are just not okay. The worst part is that Bea seems to like the baby, perhaps more than Hazel! When a family picture ends in disaster, Hazel runs away and hides, sure she is in trouble. When she hears Bea crying, upset that her beloved pet is gone, Hazel runs out to rejoin her girl, and starts to realize that perhaps the new baby isn't so terrible. After all, he does leave a trail of food in his wake!
Hazel is a very tiny dog who looks to be at least part Yorkshire Terrier, and Myers' illustrations are quite adorable, which immediately made me sympathetic to the dog who has to deal with a stinky new baby. Young readers who might be struggling with an interloper of their own will understand Hazel's objections, but will perhaps see that these are not as horrible as the seem at first. Hopefully, this will soften their feelings for a new sibling as well.
The watercolor and ink illustrations give this a warm, autumnal feeling, and I loved all of the details about the pleasures in Hazel's life. Comfy chairs and blankets, a strong routine, and lots of supportive family members make Hazel and Bea feel loved. Bea's grandmother even knits boots for Hazel when she is knitting things for the baby! Hazel has some favorite toys, although I'm not entirely sure that sharing her stuffed frog and pig with the baby is the best idea, beneficial dog bacteria not withstanding!
There are a number of books that combine new siblings and animals, so it's not hard to find a book to help older children accept a new family member. Hazel's antics, however, are particularly clever, so this is a fun book to add to the mix along with Nelson's Dog's First Baby, Bright's My Sister is an Alien, Nichols and Taylor's No, Baby, No, and Harper and McQuillan's It's Not Fair.
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