FICTION

Joy School: 22 Children’s Stories to Teach the Joys of Honesty, Family, Your Body, the Earth, Goals, Sharing, Uniqueness, and More!

by Richard Eyre & Linda Eyre (text) & illus. by Olga Zakharova
Bushel & Peck. Sept. 2020. 96p. Tr $21.99. ISBN 9781952239755.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2–A collection of stories designed to teach and build appreciation in sections such as “The Joy of the Body,” “The Joy of Family,” and more. There are ten topics in all, containing brief two- to three-page stories or rhyming poems paired with whimsical illustrations in a Scandinavian style and featuring a diverse cast of characters. Some stories have a symbol to denote if it is “Sad-or-Happy,” with one path following a poor choice, and the other about a wise choice. Each piece includes perfunctory questions for discussion in a shaded pastel blue. Some lines do not scan well, or seem forced or clumsy: “And he floated right off to start giving once more/’Cause he learned a good lesson from all the before.”
VERDICT Stilted sentences prevent the tellings from gaining momentum; the mission of teaching core values overwhelms any compelling content.
Reviewed by ­Ramarie Beaver, formerly at Plano P.L., TX , Aug 01, 2020

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

Hoot Hoot
by Georgette
FICTION

Who Will Rule the Trees?
by Kimmel, Eric A.
FICTION

Go Bananas!
by Peele, A. B.
FICTION

The Dark Is For
by Kohuth, Jane
BOOKS

We Run This House: The Girls’ Guide to Flag Football
by Dickens, AnnaSofia
BOOKS

How the Other Half Die
by Roscoe, P. C.
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?