FICTION

Wisteria Jane

by Amber HARRIS
illus. by Ard Hoyt. 32p. Redleaf Lane. Oct. 2015. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781605544113.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—Wisteria Jane is a spunky girl with a lot of attitude. She is opinionated and energetic, and sometimes her "truth-telling" gets her into trouble. In this story, the trouble comes when Wisteria tells her best friend that she was ugly as a baby and refuses to apologize. The book then turns into a teaching moment about watching what you say and keeping some hurtful thoughts to yourself. Unfortunately, the story falls short and the moral seems forced. Wisteria learns to tell her "mouth not to say all the things her brain thinks" with hardly any coaching at all and is able to control her anger seemingly effortlessly. The pictures are pleasant and detailed, which helps to keep the story interesting and may entertain some readers. However, this title is less inspired than other existing books about friendship and kindness, and readers would likely find more enjoyment from Helen Lester's Hurty Feelings (HMH, 2014).
VERDICT An additional purchase for picture book collections needing supplemental titles about kindness to friends.
Reviewed by Ellen Norton, Naperville Public Library, Naperville, IL
Although the text has an old-timey tone, this is a contemporary story about a little girl who learns that always telling the truth can hurt another person's feelings--sometimes you have to think before you speak. Although the message is obvious, it's nice to see Wisteria apologize to her friend and restore good will between them. The washed-out-looking illustrations convey emotion well.
 , Oct 01, 2015

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

Some of Us Are Brave
by Faruqi, Saadia
BOOKS

Tested
by Monders, Anna
BOOKS

Hail Mariam
by Al-Marashi, Huda
BOOKS

Amari and the Metalwork Menace
by Alston, B. B.
BOOKS

Brady Mason’s Perfect Fit
by Melleby, Nicole
FICTION

Frank the Monster
by Strandberg, Mats
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?