Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Entrepreneur Weisfeld and Bader (You're the Boss) reteam in this smart graphic novel series launch about an enterprising tween on the hunt for success. Resa and her besties Harriet, Didi, and Amelia love to start businesses. But with her assigned reading done and no ideas for a new venture, Resa grows tired of summer vacation until her abuela invites the youth and her friends to visit Brooklyn. Upon arrival, Resa becomes jealous of the other girls' budding relationship with Abuela. Her feelings worsen when the adult, injured from a fall, asks Resa to cover her shifts at her Abuela's store, leaving Resa's friends to care for her grandmother at home. An opportunity to help local kids establish their own business momentarily boosts Resa's spirits, but a series of risky decisions--which she keeps secret from her friends and Abuela--jeopardizes her relationships. Rapid-fire dialogue interspersed with Resa's insightful internal monologue deftly portrays the protagonist's yearning to be seen and appreciated. Sketch-like line art and expressive figure designs by Hsieh (Picnic Planet) heighten the emotional and material stakes of this sweet tale of strong bonds surviving unexpected tests. "Business secrets from the startup squad" conclude. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8--12. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--6--Junior high student Resa and her three business-savvy friends visit Resa's abuela in Brooklyn. Abuela takes them sightseeing but trips and sprains her ankle getting home. The girls kick it into high gear to take care of Abuela, but Resa somehow feels left out, until she begins working at Abuela's boutique. There, Resa meets two girls who want to start a dog bandana business, and unable to resist helping, lends them store money. She tries to give them advice, but they won't listen and fail miserably. Resa fears never getting the money back, but the next day, the two girls sheepishly return asking for help. Resa accepts and teams up with her friends to make sure that the latest version of "Barkin' Bandanas" is a success. The girls are depicted realistically in their manner and emotional responses. The panels follow the action well with plenty of emotional reaction details. The multicultural girls bring a positive attitude to tackling the world of entrepreneurship. The friends and family story threads keep the book from feeling like a manual, and the blending of business tenets with real-life problems makes this a compelling read. Resa and Abuela are Latine, while the other girls are portrayed with a variety of skin tones. VERDICT Perfect for fans of realistic fiction such as "PAWS" and "The Baby-Sitters Club" series.--Elisabeth LeBris
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A fresh business venture faces challenges in the big city. In a new story separate from their previous series, the Start-Up Squad--a group of young friends who have run a range of businesses, from a lemonade stand to wedding planning--have made the move from prose chapter books to comics, and they've also left home to visit Resa's Abuela in New York City. Resa's friends get along swimmingly with Abuela, and Resa quickly begins feeling like the fifth wheel. But Abuela sprains her ankle and has to stay home, so Resa offers to work at her grandmother's shop in her stead, hoping to escape her frustrations. Serendipitously (or suspiciously) she contributes capital funds--questionably procured from the cash register--to support two girls planning to make and sell dog bandanas. The girls flippantly accept her hastily offered cash and nearly tank their business with sloppy product and overly aggressive marketing. Fortunately, Resa divulges her dilemma to her friends, who rally to help with product development and a coherent sales strategy. They're a team for a reason; they know that every angle of the process counts. With functional, bright illustrations, occasionally stiffened by long stretches of dialogue, and a straightforward storyline, there's definitely a lesson here, relayed with conviction. Resa's frustrations with her friends add a dash of drama to entice even skeptical readers to invest. Resa and her grandmother are brown-skinned and Latine, and other characters represent a diversity of skin tones. Business smarts and collaborative creativity laid out clearly in comics form. (note on business practices)(Graphic fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
