SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://lauraellenanderson.co.uk/
CITY: London, England
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
LAST VOLUME: SATA 362
http://lauraellenanderson.co.uk/ABOUT-1
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1988, in Essex, England.
EDUCATION:University College Falmouth, graduated (first class), 2010.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Illustrator and writer.
AVOCATIONS:Doodling, making 3D models of her characters, creating Harry Potter fan art, baking, making “to do” lists.
AWARDS:Leeds Book Award, 2018, for Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball; Amelia Bloomer Book List, American Library Association, 2018, for Big Bob, Little Bob by James Howe.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Laura Ellen Anderson is a British writer and illustrator who is based in North London. Anderson has earned recognition for her “Evil Emperor Penguin” graphic novels as well as her “Amelia Fang” series of middle-grade tales that follow the adventures of a young vampire. In addition to her solo efforts, Anderson has provided the illustrations to books by James Howe, Elli Woollard, and Cerrie Burnell, among other writers.
Anderson developed a taste for the macabre as a child. “I have to admit, as a little girl I was definitely more of a ‘decorate the walls with paint and take the legs off of my dolls’ kind of kid,” she recalled in a B&N Kids blog interview. “I like to think I was testing my creative boundaries! Casper the Friendly Ghost and The Addams Family were childhood film favourites of mine, along with the Worst Witch books by Jill Murphy, and The Witches by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. Since discovering the work of Tim Burton in my late teens, I have adored anything a bit dark, stripy, and spindly!”
Anderson’s illustration projects have included the “Harper” series, by Cerrie Burnell, about a musically gifted girl living in the City of Clouds with her cat. Regarding Harper and the Circus of Dreams, Claire Moore commented in School Library Journal that “Anderson’s spreads reflect perfectly the wonder and whimsy of Harper’s world.” She has also illustrated Elli Woollard’s “Swashbuckle Lil” chapter books, about an imaginatively adventurous girl, with pictures that School Librarian reviewer Hannah Breslin admired as “funny.”
Having greatly enjoyed classic children’s literature featuring witches as a child, especially Dahl’s The Witches, Anderson has contributed illustrations to Sibéal Pounder’s “Witch Wars” juvenile novel series. Young Tiga Whicabim gets the surprise of her life when a fairy shows up at the shed in which she lives a miserable life, identifies her as a witch, and takes her to magical Ritzy City, where she and eight other girls will be battling to win the Witch Wars and rule the city. Reviewing Witch Wars in School Library Journal, Mandy Laferriere observed, “Whimsical black-and-white illustrations throughout help readers envision this fantastical locale.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer called the drawings “appropriately eerie,” while a Kirkus Reviews writer called them “charming.” Regarding Witch Switch, in which Tiga’s best friend, Peggy, goes missing, a Kirkus Reviews writer praised the “neatly tuned, wacky drawings.”
Among Anderson’s self-illustrated titles is Evil Emperor Penguin, about an aspiring supervillain, his very small yeti minion, Eugene, and his octopus butler, Number 8. Continually coming up with off-the-wall plans to take over the world, Evil Emperor Penguin can never quite bring any of them to fruition, failing in slapstick style. A more immediate challenge arises when he has a quarrel with an unfriendly fellow villain, Evil Cat.
Booklist reviewer Peter Blenski approvingly declared that “the episodic chapters and straightforward layouts are charmingly simple.” He also appreciated the visual variation and cartoon-like feel of the panel illustrations. A Kirkus Reviews writer was laudatory, admiring the book’s “sprightly tone and unfaltering cheerfulness,” the “cinematic” illustrations,” the “goofily offbeat” humor, and a cast of characters that will “captivate” readers. The reviewer concluded that Evil Emperor Penguin is a “graphic charmer” and “fantastically fun cartoon romp.”
A youngster longs to straighten her incredibly unruly tresses in I Don’t Want Curly Hair!, another humorous picture book by Anderson. “Bouncily written, with a hint of Seuss … , this tale of unmanageable manes and joyful self-acceptance is full of textures, twirls and ill-judged straightening techniques,” Imogen Russell Williams commented in the London Guardian. Kate Whiting, writing in the Liverpool Echo, stated that “Anderson’s cute and brilliantly funny illustrations make our protagonist bounce off the page.”
In Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball, Anderson introduces her toothy protagonist, a resident of gloomy Nocturnia. Initially excited to chaperone Prince Tangine on the night of her parents’ annual Barbaric Ball, Amelia soon grows frustrated with the young royal’s obnoxious behavior, When the prince lays claim to Squashy, Amelia’s beloved pet pumpkin, she embarks on a rescue mission with the help of her friends, Florence the yeti and Grimaldi the reaper. School Librarian contributor Louise Ellis-Barrett described the work as “[b]rilliantly imagined, stylishly written, [and] lavishly illustrated in charming monochrome,” while a writer in Kirkus Reviews noted that “Anderson plays her premise expertly, creating giggleworthy, topsy-turvy scenarios that are just over-the-top enough.”
Discussing her series opener in a YAOMG! blog interview, Anderson remarked, “My dream was to create a quirky gothic story with fun characters the reader can relate to and enjoy spending time with.” She added, “It was important to me to create a strong female lead, and a book which had themes important for today’s society, of friendship, acceptance and tolerance.” Other titles in the series include Amelia Fang and the Memory Thief, Amelia Fang and the Naughty Caticorns, Amelia Fang and the Rainbow Rangers.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 15, 2015, Kathleen Isaacs, review of Witch Wars, p. 59; April 15, 2017, Peter Blenski, review of Evil Emperor Penguin, p. 39.
Children’s Bookwatch, February, 2020, Diana Perry, review of Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball.
Guardian (London, England), February 25, 2017, Imogen Russell Williams, review of I Don’t Want Curly Hair!
Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2015, review of Witch Wars; December 1, 2016, review of Witch Switch; March 15, 2017, review of Evil Emperor Penguin; April 15, 2019, review of Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball.
Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England), March 1, 2017, Kate Whiting, review of I Don’t Want Curly Hair!
Publishers Weekly, October 26, 2015, review of Witch Wars, p. 77.
School Librarian, fall, 2017, Hannah Breslin, review of Swashbuckle Lil and the Jewel Thief, p. 175; spring, 2018, Louise Ellis-Barrett, review of Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball, p. 34.
School Library Journal, September, 2015, Mandy Laferriere, review of Witch Wars, p. 145; December, 2017, Claire Moore, review of Harper and the Circus of Dreams, p. 95.
ONLINE
B&N Kids blog, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/kids/ (October 29, 2019), K.G. Campbell, author interview.
Laura Ellen Anderson website, http://lauraellenanderson.co.uk (August 15, 2020).
YAOMG! blog, https://www.yayomg.com/ (July 30, 2019), author interview.
YA Yeah Yeah, http://www.yayeahyeah.com/ (March 11, 2015), author interview.*
ABOUT
Represented in the UK by Helen Boyle at Pickled ink:
http://www.pickledink.com
I love ALL things Autumn, pumpkin spice, crunchy leaves, the smell of woodsmoke and big chunky knit jumpers. Halloween is my most favourite season and my spirit creature is the pumpkin.
When I'm not working, I'm usually making 3D models characters, creating fan art for my favourite TV shows and films, baking (and eating) and watching Pixar documentaries.
I was born in Essex in 1988 and now I live in London as a fully-fledged grown up (sort of). I studied illustration at University College Falmouth and graduated with a First Class degree in 2010. Since then I have been lucky enough to work with many UK and US publishers on some wonderful books.
The Amelia Fang series is my first fiction series as author and illustrator, featuring a young vampire and her friends. Amelia Fang has been published in over 20 languages. Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball was Waterstones Book of the month for October 2017 and won the Leeds Book Award for the 7-9 category.
I'm also the megalomaniac creator of the Evil Emperor Penguin comic which appears in The Phoenix comic. There are four books in the Evil Emperor Penguin graphic novel series. Book Two Evil Emperor Penguin Strikes Back won the Islington Schools Book Awards 2018 (On World Penguin Day no less!)
My picture book I Don't Want Curly Hair has been published in over ten languages and is the first of a series of future I Don't Want... books. Other books in the series include I Don't Want to be Small and I Don't Want to be Quiet!
I have been fortunate enough to illustrate a range of very exciting book covers such as Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series, The Amazing Maurice, Dodger and am currently illustrating Nation. I also illustrated the relaunch of Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five series, and Cornelia Funke's Dragon Rider series.
I've loved working with authors such as Sibeal Pounder, Cerrie Burnell, David Solomons, Caryl Hart and Peter Bently.
My newest books include RAINBOW GREY (book 1) and RAINBOW GREY: EYE OF THE STORM (book 2) packed FULL of weather magic, adventures and a cute flying cloud-cat!
RAINBOW GREY: BATTLE FOR THE SKIES publishes February 2nd 2023
May there be many more books, cakes, PUMPKINS AND CLOUD-CATS.
Laura Ellen Anderson
Genres: Children's Fiction
New Books
February 2023
thumb
Battle for the Skies
(Rainbow Grey, book 3)
Series
Evil Emperor Penguin
1. Evil Emperor Penguin (2015)
2. Strikes Back! (2017)
3. Winging It (2020)
4. The World Will Be Mine! (2023)
thumbthumbthumbno image available
Amelia Fang
1. Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball (2017)
2. Amelia Fang and the Unicorn Lords (2018)
aka Amelia Fang and the Unicorns of Glitteropolis
3. Amelia Fang and the Memory Thief (2018)
4. Amelia Fang and the Half Moon Holiday (2019)
aka Amelia Fang and the Rainbow Rangers
5. Amelia Fang and the Lost Yeti Treasures (2019)
6. Amelia Fang and the Naughty Caticorns (2020)
7. Amelia Fang and the Trouble with Toads (2020)
Amelia Fang and the Bookworm Gang (2020)
thumbthumbthumbthumb
thumbthumbthumbthumb
Rainbow Grey
1. Rainbow Grey (2021)
2. Eye of the Storm (2022)
3. Battle for the Skies (2023)
thumbthumbthumb
Marnie Midnight
1. Marnie Midnight (2024)
thumb
Picture Books
I Don't Want Curly Hair! (2017)
I Don't Want to be Small (2019)
I Don't Want to Be Quiet! (2020)
thumbthumbthumb
Series contributed to
World Book Day 2020
Amelia Fang and the Bookworm Gang (2020)
thumb
Q&A with Laura Ellen Anderson
February 4, 2023/by FCBG blog
We are so grateful to Laura Ellen Anderson for taking time during a very busy publication week to answer our questions about Rainbow Grey, Battle for the Skies!
What can you tell us about Rainbow Grey, Battle for the Skies?
Battle for the Skies is the third and final adventure in the Rainbow Grey series. The Weatherlands are still under threat and Ray knows she may have to face her arch nemesis again – the terrifying Tornadia Twist! But Ray doesn’t contemplate quite HOW far Tornadia will go with her evil plans. It’s not just big evil plans, it’s probably the BIGGEST POSSIBLE EVIL PLAN! Ray Grey is the Weatherlands (AND Earth’s) only hope for light in the skies once again. Ray really learns to embrace her power in this story and the bond between her, Snowden and Droplett has never been stronger. We also meet some brand new characters!
Why do you think so many young readers love Rainbow Grey? What do you hope they love about her?
When speaking to wonderful readers of my books, they mention how much they love the adventure, the sense of friendship between Ray, Snowden and Droplett, and also the cute sidekicks such as Nim the cloud-cat (and Squashy the pumpkin from Amelia Fang!) The fact there’s a strong female lead has appealed to many readers and I hope it has inspired them. I really hope that readers of Rainbow Grey can feel empathy towards the characters and root for Ray throughout her epic journey! I hope that they feel empowered after reading, to take on some of Ray’s advice – to never give up! Ray struggles with reading, and it always takes her a lot longer to read something than everyone else, but she doesn’t let that stop her. She never gives up and she always gets there in the end.
How long did each Rainbow Grey adventure take to write and illustrate?
It can vary from book to book. The very first book took around a year to properly complete as I experienced a bit of a creative block! But like Ray, I didn’t give up no matter how tempting it was at times, and ended up making a book I am really proud of. Usually it takes a few months to write the story, and a few months to illustrate it all. The editing stage and finishing touches can often last a few weeks too, just to make sure everything is as tip top as possible before it goes off to print.
Fans of yours will know that you love retro toys. Is there a little bit of that woven into the Rainbow Grey stories?
I’m sure there’s probably some childhood nostalgia woven into the Rainbow Grey books without me even realising it! I like to use my memories of childhood to inspire me, and that real sense of cherishing & appreciating all the special things.
Will there be more from Rainbow and her crew?
‘Battle for the Skies’ is the third and final for now, but never say never. I have ended the series at a place I’m really happy with, but it also leaves the door open to potential future books in Ray’s world. You never know what the future holds!
Rainbow Grey Battle for the Skies is published by FarShore and is available now!
Rainbow Grey Blog Tour: Author Interview with Laura Ellen Anderson
Hello everybody! Today, I’m super excited to be part of the blog tour for Laura Ellen Anderson’s new release Rainbow Grey, which was such a fun read, with an interview. If you’d like to read my review, you can do so in this weather-themed post here. Onto the post!
1. First off, can you describe your writing for us in 5 words?
Energetic, Animated, Funny, Silly… Alliterative!
The worldbuilding in your newest book Rainbow Grey is so incredible, I absolutely loved it. What gave you the idea for the book, and how did you go about creating it?
I’ve always been fascinated by the weather – I mean, who isn’t?! Especially rainbows… beyond the science is a glimmer of magic. They give us hope, and you can’t help but smile when you see a rainbow stretching across the sky. Ten years ago, I drew a rainbow-haired girl running through the air beside a little cloud-cat. I imagined a group of magical beings who created and controlled the weather, but I didn’t have a story for them… YET.
Advertisements
REPORT THIS AD
Ten years later, I revisited the idea of this Rainbow character, and began to develop a whole other world in the skies where they could live. I have always been desperate to write and illustrate a book involving MAGIC (which I now realise is SO much harder than I thought it would be!) But I wanted to come up with a magic system unique to my world – I didn’t just want my characters to blast weather from their fingertips, so that’s when I began to experiment and visualise interesting ways the characters could create the weather magic they possessed; whether it be drawing snowflakes with beautiful gloves to form snowy displays, or using a shepherd style crook to guide cloud-creatures and create the fluffy white splodges you see in the sky today… or even making a HUGE sunflower glow to give the Earth it’s light.
I had SO much fun building and developing Ray’s world; her friends, her family, the locations… and it was a GREAT excuse to include another super cute sidekick like Amelia Fang’s Squashy the pumpkin – I am hoping Nim the cloud-cat captures the hearts of my Squashy-loving fans!
One of my other favourite parts of the book was Ray`s wonderful cloud cat, and I loved Squashy in the Amelia Fang books too. Who are your top 3 literary sidekicks?
Colin the Spider (from Mr Penguin by Alex T Smith)
Colin is just brilliant. He’s the perfect sidekick to the curious, brave and adventurous Mr Penguin. Colin does not speak, but communicates by writing on a large notepad he seemingly whips out of nowhere. Colin helps Mr Penguin out of sticky situations and he is exceedingly good at a ferocious kung fu kick!
Pantalaimon (from His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman)
Pantalaimon (or Pan) is the animal daemon of the brave and feisty protagonist, Lyra Belacqua. He shapeshifts into any form he pleases but is often a snow-white ermine. Pantalaimon is almost a portrayal of Lyra’s inner thoughts and feelings; perhaps the emotions she chooses not to show, and he often questions Lyra’s actions, like her sub-conscious. Pantalaimon is sweet and caring, but also cautious and a bit of a worrier like me!
Fran the Fairy (from Witch Wars by Sibéal Pounder)
I was lucky enough to illustrate this book, and ADORED drawing Fran the Fairy created by Sibéal Pounder. Fran is confident, loud and just FABULOUS. Everything is glitter, glamour and LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION for this theatrical little fairy. She brings humour and positivity to the page, and not to mention ridiculous and laugh-out-loud moments. Her dialogue is shaper and witty, and her character development over the series of Witch Wars books is brilliantly thought out. I’d definitely want Fran as my fairy godmother style sidekick!
The ending of Rainbow Grey is SO EXCITING. Can you let any secrets slip about the next book in the series?
I WISH I could, but that would be TELLING… But I CAN say that we will see much more of Ray’s new and colourful magic. We will meet some brand-new characters and learn more about how the weather world works. Ray will face some BIG challenges along the way as she tries to solve a sky-shaking mystery that threatens one particular type weather magic, and Ray has to figure out what’s going on before this weather magic is lost forever!
QUICKFIRE
Favourite type of weather? A light thunderstorm, with rainbows and sunshine afterwards.
Type of weather magic you most want to have? Hmmm, CLOUD magic so I could have my own cloud-companion!
Nim or Squashy? (I know this is mean, sorry Laura!) OH nooooooo – can I just say SQUIM???
Thank you so much for reading! What’s your favourite kind of weather? Are you planning to pick this up? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Amy x
This article is featured in BfK 259 March 2023
This article is in the Interviews Category
Rainbow World: An interview with Laura Ellen Anderson
Author: Fiona Noble
Fiona Noble interviews Laura Ellen Anderson about Rainbow Grey.
The character of Rainbow Grey first came to Laura Ellen Anderson shortly after she graduated from university in 2010. ‘Rainbow came from a single image of a girl with rainbow coloured hair and a cloud cat next to her,’ she tells me, speaking over video call from her Brighton home. ‘I had a few sketches, but I didn’t have a story.’ Towards the end of writing her bestselling Amelia Fang series, when Laura felt she had ‘found her feet’ in the middle-grade fiction world, she sent some sketches to her then editor, Ali Dougal. ‘I vividly remember Ali asking, “Who’s that? More, please!”’ Suddenly ideas began to form. ‘Rainbow was born over 10 years ago and sat in the background waiting for her story to arrive,’ Laura recalls.
Spirited, optimistic 10-year-old Rainbow is the eponymous heroine of the Rainbow Grey trilogy, the third volume of which, Battle for the Skies, was published by Farshore Books in February. Like the Amelia Fang series, the books are aimed at readers of seven and above, but the extended format of around 30,000 words makes them well suited to independent readers transitioning to slightly longer books. Set in the Weatherlands, a cloud world ruled by weather magic, Rainbow is a young Weatherling surrounded by people with astounding powers, but none of her own. The women in her family, however, tend to find their powers later, and on a forbidden trip to Earth, she discovers a shadow crystal. It’s full to the brim with an ancient magic that Rainbow manages to unleash and absorb under an eclipse. ‘Suddenly Rainbow has to deal with this brand new life,’ Laura explains, navigating these new powers and finding herself at the forefront of the confrontation with the Weather Rogues, led by the gloriously evil Tornadia Twist. Book two, Eye of the Storm, sees Rainbow learning to master her powers as beloved cloud creatures begin to disappear and dark magic threatens Earth. In Book three, Rainbow must figure out what her ultimate magical gift is, and finally defeat Tornadia Twist. ‘It’s all about finding your feet and not giving up,’ says Laura, ‘and the teamwork with her friends.’ The books combine the everyday drama of school and friendships with magical world building and fast-paced sky battles that read like anime cartoons, all underpinned by Laura’s trademark humour. And, of course, it’s wrapped up in a dynamic, highly illustrated format, featuring Laura’s pictures or artwork on almost every page. As someone who worked as a professional illustrator for a long time before embarking on her writing career, Laura describes herself as ‘a very visual person’, words and pictures are equally important and inextricably linked to form her narrative voice.
The writing process of the Rainbow Grey books was, Laura admits, ‘a very epic, blurry learning curve’. The impact of Covid lockdowns challenged her creativity and she felt burdened by ‘second album syndrome’ following the success of Amelia Fang. The rocky start led her to strip the idea back to its foundations. ‘Character is definitely my strongest point,’ she acknowledges. ‘I concentrated on looking at Rainbow as a character, and all the things I liked about her. I wanted her to be this strong female protagonist but someone with strengths and weaknesses that readers could relate to.’ Rainbow struggles with reading and sometimes has to ask her friends for help. ‘She’s patient with herself and gets there in the end. She doesn’t give up. Once I made myself happy with the characters the story started to write itself.’ Laura isn’t a writer who plans her books meticulously; plot and worldbuilding come together more organically once the characters are in place. ‘There are always a few surprises actually,’ she laughs. ‘I enjoy exploring the world and going on the journey with them.’
From the hilarious character names – pigeon Coo La La has a star turn in book three – to friendship banter, slapstick moments and dastardly villains, humour is integral to Laura’s work but creating emotional depth is also vital. ‘It’s something I try to portray in all of my books,’ Laura explains. ‘I’ve been inspired, growing up, by the likes of Disney and Pixar. Something like ‘Up’ has the ability to make you laugh and break down crying. Obviously, I don’t want people sobbing,’ she adds, ‘but I want to create an emotional connection to the characters and I really want readers to be invested in the emotional journey of the characters. I don’t like to create characters that are two dimensional.’ What does she hope readers will take away from the Rainbow Grey books? ‘I hope that readers will be inspired to pursue their own dreams. I hope they’ll read it and find a little escapism from the world but also be able to relate to the characters. When kids tell you the characters are like them, that’s a really special moment. It’s a powerful feeling.’
Laura has left the ending open enough that she could, perhaps, return to the world of Rainbow Grey in the future, but for now she’s working on a new project, Marnie Midnight, a series about a young moth who enrols at Minibeast Academy. The first book will be published early in 2024, similar in length to Amelia Fang, full of illustrations and the same ‘silly, but heartfelt’ characters. ‘I basically pick something I love and let myself absorb into that world. I love the moon, and moths. I find weather and rainbows fascinating. What if there is actual magic in the sky? I try to suspend disbelief. I’ve never been in a rush to grow up and this is my chance to stay young at heart and write the stories I enjoyed reading as a kid.’
Fiona Noble is a books journalist and reviewer, specialising in children’s and YA literature, for publications including The Bookseller and The Observer.
Rainbow Grey, Farshore Books, 9781405298728, £7.99 pbk
Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm, Farshore Books, 9781405298704, £7.99 pbk
Rainbow Grey: Battle for the Skies, Farshore Books, 9781405298858, £7.99 pbk
Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball, Farshore Books, 9781405286725, £6.99 pbk
Anderson, Laura Ellen I DON'T WANT TO BE QUIET! Philomel (Children's None) $17.99 11, 3 ISBN: 978-0-593-11728-6
Bold, brash, and bursting with personality—this book should be read with an outdoor voice!
Endpapers explode with colors and patterns, and the protagonist—a beige-skinned kid with straight, black hair—declares, “I don’t want to be quiet, I’d rather be LOUD!” Readers will know a boisterous adventure awaits them. Clad in a robot mask and carrying a broom turned into a rocket ship, the narrator is full of life and loves being loud, at the expense of baby brother’s nap and Mom’s patience. Lively rhyming text, set at times in big capital letters, conveys this kid’s enthusiasm, bouncing through life raucously, making noise on stairs and with spoons, humming, popping balloons, burping (“oops”), and more. But then, during a trip to the quiet library (“BORING”), when, following an outburst, other library users shush the noisemaker, the effusive protagonist opens a book. Within is a thrilling tale to keep that busy mind occupied while reading silently. Readers can see the adventures the narrator imagines, rendered with equal joy to the real-life escapades. Better still, it turns out that being quiet leads to the discovery of all sorts of new sounds all around. Fear not, this kid still has loud moments, but now they are balanced. Vivid, imaginative illustrations engage readers and viscerally convey the wide range of emotions felt by this audacious protagonist. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.8-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Perfect for lively read-alouds, especially during times of homebound play when children just need to shout! (Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Anderson, Laura Ellen: I DON'T WANT TO BE QUIET!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A636726969/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bb112553. Accessed 16 May 2023.
ANDERSON, Laura Ellen. I Don't Want To Be Small, illus. by Laura Ellen Anderson. 32p. Philomel. Jul. 2021. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780593117316.
K-Gr 2--Life is a challenge when you're small. In a first-person rant, this younger brother finds his big brother's clothes too big, and he's frustratingly still too small for the big rides at the fair. The boy grows so angry, he tosses Teddy Bear high into the air where the favorite toy remains firmly stuck on a high branch. Each page offers a variety of illustrations in size and number to emphasize the effort to grow tall. Jumping, standing on a box, using stilts or even a sock rope doesn't compensate for lack of height, and this little guy finds he cannot grow himself taller even if he sits in the sun and waters himself with a cold shower. Making a new friend brings much more than just someone with the height to assist in the recovery of Teddy, it brings kindness. Whimsical large eyes and simple lines on cartoon faces highlight the features of children of different races (and varying heights). VERDICT A suggested general purchase, this title adds both humor and understanding to a common challenge for smaller children. --Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano I.S.D., TX
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Elam, Mary. "ANDERSON, Laura Ellen. I Don't Want To Be Small." School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 7, July 2021, p. 42. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A667846272/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d29be5df. Accessed 16 May 2023.
Anderson, Laura Ellen I DON'T WANT TO BE SMALL Philomel (Children's None) $17.99 7, 13 ISBN: 978-0-593-11731-6
A red-spectacled Black youngster has had it with being small!
Everyone in class can whoosh around on the big rides at the fair while this kid is stuck twirling about on the boring kiddie rides. It’s humiliating trying on older brother’s hand-me-downs: None of them fit. Fed up, the kid flings Teddy Bear into the air—and into a tall tree! How to rescue Teddy? Gorging on greens to force a growth spurt just produces gas. Emulating a potted flower just gets the narrator muddy and wet. Teddy is doomed. Along comes a White-presenting girl who towers over the narrator, but even she can’t reach the beleaguered bear. The kid gets another idea. What if the narrator climbs on her shoulders? Voilà—success! Teddy, the narrator, and the girl become bosom buddies, regardless of their height disparity. “So yes, I am small, / But now I don’t mind. / I’ve made a new friend, / and she’s mightily kind!” Alas, Anderson’s perky (some might say cutesy) rhyme scheme isn’t enough to overcome the plot holes (where did that tree come from, anyway?) and the fact that this Black child needs the help of a White kid to solve the problem. Moreover, the story indicates no benefits to being small—despite the flap copy’s promise of reinforcement of self-esteem. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Well-intentioned but clumsily executed. (Picture book. 5-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Anderson, Laura Ellen: I DON'T WANT TO BE SMALL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A667031363/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7c0938c3. Accessed 16 May 2023.