Posted on June 6th, 2015 by pajamapress
Princess Pistachio Shoelace’s summer vacation is not starting out on a high note. She has big plans to meet with her friends to search for treasure. But her mother insists that she must take her little sister, Penny, to the park. Penny is delighted, but Pistachio is definitely feeling put-upon. Penny, dressed in a bunny hat and a cape and perched in a wagon filled with toys and the dog, exhorts Pistachio to “giddy up.” The day goes from bad to worse, as Penny manages to cause a great deal of trouble, especially when Pistachio has momentary lapses of attention. Penny sneaks fruit from the grocer, Mr. Pomodoro, and Pistachio is blamed. Penny climbs a wall and falls off, into the garden of Mrs. Oldtooth, the neighborhood witch. When Penny swims in the park fountain and pulls out some coins, Pistachio is blamed again. It has been a decidedly unroyal day, and her frustration is compounded by their mother’s clueless reaction. In four breathless, fast-paced chapters, Gay once again weaves a frantically funny tale with deliciously named characters, while subtly recognizing some underlying concerns regarding sibling responsibility and difficulties with adult-child communication. Descriptive and age-appropriate language flows naturally and is in perfect tandem with the brightly hued illustrations that depict redheaded, freckle-faced Pistachio’s every changing emotion. Young readers will cheer for her. Long live Princess Pistachio. (Early reader. 4-8)
Posted in Princess Pistachio and the Pest | Tagged and-the-pest, kirkus, marie-louise-gay, princess-pistachio, star, starred-review
Posted on November 21st, 2014 by pajamapress
Pajama Press is pleased to congratulate the authors of four of our Spring 2014 titles on being selected for the Fall 2014 edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens.
Starred Selection: Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis
Starred Selection: Revenge on the Fly by Sylvia McNicoll
When Emily Carr Met Woowritten by Monica Kulling and illustrated by Dean Griffiths
Skydiver: Saving the Fastest Bird in the World written and illustrated by Celia Godkin
Best Books for Kids & Teens is a publication of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Click here to learn more.
Posted in Moon at Nine, Revenge on the Fly, Skydiver, When Emily Carr Met Woo | Tagged best-books, canadian-childrens-book-centre, ccbc, star, starred-selection
Posted on November 11th, 2014 by pajamapress
“…The skillful combination of text and illustrations addresses many serious concerns of early childhood—and even of parenthood—without straying from the book’s tone of fun and frivolity. (Among the issues so adeptly addressed are adoption, sibling relationships, classmate rejection and a missing child.) The characters are pen-and-ink creations tinted with bright watercolors; Pistachio’s russet braid and freckled face are reminiscent of Pippi Longstocking and the author’s own Stella. Playful names (Pistachio’s teacher is Mrs. Trumpethead) add to the fun. A playful and entertaining take on children’s perennial questions surrounding ideas of personhood, family and community. (Early reader. 4-8)”
Click here to read the full review.
Posted in Princess Pistachio | Tagged jacob-homel, kirkus, marie-louise-gay, princess-pistachio, Review, star, starred-review