The Meanest Birthday Girl

Gr 1–3—Dana is downright mean. Because she gets to do whatever she wants on her birthday, she pinches, takes her friend Anthony's dessert without asking, and name-calls. Dana is an ornery bully until Anthony gives her a white elephant with pink toenails as a gift. It needs endless love and attention, and Dana quickly learns to care about something other than herself. When another birthday girl needs to learn a lesson about how to act on her big day, Dana knows just what to give her. Schneider's watercolor, ink, and pencil illustrations have humor and sweetness: the cover art is hilarious and there is a lovely moment when Dana is depicted lying on a hill, exhausted, and the elephant's trunk is reaching around to take her sandwich. The small details in the artwork add to the character development; the ever-present Band-Aid on Dana's knee along with the horses and unicorns that decorate her room give readers insight into her personality. However, there are also oddities in the artwork: the vacant look in the children's circular eyes can be disconcerting. While this charming early chapter book is more a story about a girl and her pet than it is about birthday shenanigans, young readers are sure to enjoy it.—Laura Lutz, Pratt Institute, New York City