Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 1. As Jenny rides her bike through town on the Fourth of July, she sees the townsfolk preparing for the parade, fishing, showing off newly acquired citizenship papers, and enjoying a picnic. The mayor gives her speech, and the parade begins: "Let the celebration start! / Everybody plays a part." Jenny ends her day in the park watching fireworks with her parents. The rhyming text and Cote's bright art capture the friendly mood. The activities of some of the families seem contrived, particularly an Indian family shown standing together on their lawn with their citizenship papers in hand. But, as a whole, the book shows a diverse community celebrating together. Information about the first Fourth of July, the first U.S. flag, the national bird, and the Liberty Bell is appended. KarenHutt.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Jenny prepares for the town's Fourth of July parade by washing, chasing, and finally putting a red bow on her dog. She observes Mrs. Berger hanging up flags, the Hill family having a picnic, and firefighter Mike washing his truck. Sometimes the story's rhyming couplets seem forced, as in "Jimmy Yang sips lemonade./Look! It's time for the parade!" and other times they are just right: "Gladly, proudly, down the street, joyful music, marching feet." The double-page, colorful cartoon illustrations honor America's melting pot by showing an Indian family proudly holding their citizenship papers, a brown-skinned woman mayor, and various other townspeople. The wide green lawns, the manicured flower gardens, and the lovely lakeside setting suggest an idealized Middle America. The book ends with a page about the nation's birth that includes an abbreviated story of the Declaration of Independence. Janet S. Wong's Apple Pie Fourth of July (Harcourt, 2002) and Harriet Ziefert's Hats Off for the Fourth of July (Viking, 2000) are stronger entries on this holiday.-Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Everyone in Jenny's multicultural town prepares for the Fourth of July celebration. The fireman cleans his truck, the Dalals display their new citizenship papers, the mayor reviews her speech, Luis salutes the flag, and Jenny leads the parade. Jenny's dog runs through the cheerful illustrations, tying the different sections of the simple rhyme together. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Kimmelman and Cote (Round the Turkey, 2002) look at another holiday with a fairly clumsy, if well-intentioned, salute to the Fourth of July. Sturdy, uninspired couplets take young readers through an Independence Day: "Sun's up high, / Fourth of July! / Lots of preparation / for a day of celebration." So it goes, as the good people of Podunk get primed for the festivities. "Mr. Hill fires up the grill. / All the family eats their fill. / Katie toots her piccolo. / Jenny ties a big red bow." And people there are aplenty, in a rather ham-fisted display of multiculturalism: "The Dalal family smiles proudly. / 'We're Americans now!' they proclaim loudly." Luis salutes the flag; Jimmy Yang sips lemonade. On the other hand, there is a parade with bicycles and a band, a mayor speechifying from a gazebo on the town green, and barbeques, fireworks, and a dog causing a ruckus, while the artwork has a good-natured clunkiness that fits the text. To close, Kimmelman has composed a page of facts about the Fourth: the reason for the design of the flag, key players behind the Declaration of Independence, the national bird, and the Liberty Bell. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
