Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Hannah Sparkles has been shockingly perky and happy since birth. "Twirl, Sparkle, Shine!" And she shares these attributes liberally. Then one day Hannah gets the best news-a new neighbor. "This is better than a pet unicorn!" She's so excited to meet Sunny Everbright that she even forgets to bring her pom-poms. But after a day with Sunny, Hannah has lost her sparkle. Despite her best attempts, Hannah cannot convince Sunny to ride bikes, find butterflies, or draw unicorns. Sunny like bugs, mud, and rain. It is only when Hannah's mother says that "maybe Sunny finds her sparkle in other things" that Hannah understands that it's OK for pals to have different interests. She declares that "the two of us will always be friends." Mellom's first-person text complements Brantley-Newton's spot-on illustrations. Readers can practically feel Hannah's perky goodness and Sunny's amusement. The way the text is laid out among the illustrations and the use of an oversize font for emphasis make the book visually appealing and great for one-on-one sharing or read-alouds. -VERDICT This title is sure to be popular with the Fancy Nancy crowd and has a nice bit of friendship wisdom to boot. Purchase as -needed.--Catherine -Callegari, Reston -Regional Library, VA © Copyright 2017. 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
Cheerful, effervescent, always-smiling Hannah Sparkles narrates her efforts to befriend her reserved new neighbor, Sunny. To Hannah's dismay, her favorite things--flowers, unicorns, pom-poms--don't inspire Sunny at all. When Hannah realizes people "find happiness in different ways," the girls become friends after all. Perky illustrations cleverly reveal Sunny's interests--earthworms, lizards, puddles--before the effusive (sometimes grating) narrative does. (c) Copyright 2018. 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
Do friends always have to enjoy the same activities?Hannah, white with long brown braids and dressed in a deep pink jumper, cheers with her sparkly pompoms. She loves to smile, and she keeps a unicorn in her bike basket. When Sunny Everbright moves in nearby, Hannah imagines a cheerful white blonde dressed in bright colors. To the contrary, Sunny has pale skin and messy black hair, jeans, and black sneakers. She answers "no" to Hannah's excited questions: "Do you like riding bikes?Finding butterflies?Drawing unicorns?" When Hannah tries to "teach Sunny Everbright how to be happy" by saying "For drawing hearts, magenta is your go-to color," Sunny draws a black spider. When Hannah shows her how to make daisy chains, Sunny finds a spider and a web. When Hannah coos, "If you need a smile, the strawberry is your go-to fruit," Sunny plops in the mud. Suddenly, it begins to rain, and Sunny begins to enjoy herself. A very confused Hannah finds solace on her jeans-wearing mom's lap as her mother wisely explains: "We all find happiness in different ways, Hannah." The next morning, an invitation arrives to "play in the rain," complete with a lizard twirling a pompom. Comical illustrations are colorful and movement-filled, combining sketching with digital programs; Sunny is likely to be read as either white or Asian. The text can be a little precious but succeeds in validating both girls' preferences. A serviceable title on friendship. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
