SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: THE THREE LITTLE GUINEA PIGS
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.ericaperl.com/
CITY: Washington
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 368
http://www.slate.com/id/2201710 http://www.hampshire.edu/news/14087.htm http://booksforkidsblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/groaner-alert-chicken-butts-back-by.html http://litlad.blogspot.com/2011/05/books-of-week-chicken-butt-chicken.html
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in CT; married Michael P. Sewell (an architect), 1995; children: two daughters.
EDUCATION:Hampshire College, B.A., 1990; Tulane University, J.D., 1995.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, attorney, editor, and nonprofit manager. Louisiana Supreme Court, New Orleans, central-staff law clerk; Harvard Children’s Initiative, Cambridge, MA, attorney; Legal Aid Society, New York, NY, attorney, 1996-2000; First Book (nonprofit agency), Washington, DC, began as vice president of publisher and author Relations, became director of marketplace operations and national book bank, 2009-16. Has also worked as a television-program developer for Powderhouse Productions and as a writer for television series Peep and the Big Wide World, WGBH. Writer’s Center, Bethesda, MD, writing teacher; freelance writer and editor; presenter at schools, libraries, conferences, and festivals; Virginia Center for the Creative Arts fellow; Yiddish Book Center fellow; PJ Library fellow; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities fellow; American International School (Lusaka, Zambia) author-in-residence.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, DC Women Writers, Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC.
AWARDS:Reuben Award for Best Illustrated Book, Book Sense Pick, and Slate.com Best Books designation, all 2006, all for Ninety-Three in My Family; Virginia Center of Creative Arts writing fellowship, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016; Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book designation, 2013, and several state book award honors, all for When Life Gives You O.J.; National Public Radio Best Book selection, 2013, for Aces Wild; District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities fellowship, 2015—; National Jewish Book Award for Children’s Literature, 2018, and Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor Silver Medal, 2019, both for All Three Stooges; Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book Designation, for The Ninth Night of Hanukkah.
WRITINGS
Contributor to periodicals and websites, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, and Slate.
SIDELIGHTS
A former attorney, Erica S. Perl is the author of picture books that include Chicken Butt!, Totally Tardy Marty, Ferocious Fluffity, and When Carrot Met Cookie, and she entertains middle grade readers in works such as All Three Stooges and The Capybara Conspiracy: A Novel in Three Acts. Perl’s works have garnered praise for their entertaining narratives and engaging characters, and critics have lauded her ability to address serious issues with tact and humor. Perl also expands on holiday traditions in the picture book The Ninth Night of Hanukkah and has collaborated with others, including Dolly Parton.
Perl’s debut picture book Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early addresses the universal reluctance of children to go to bed while there are still things happening in their world. In her rhyming text with its arch wordplay, she focuses on chicks, fish, hamsters, bunnies, and other creatures, all of which attempt to wrangle a few more hours of playtime from their respective parents. The rudiments of time-telling are woven into Perl’s “perfectly pitched” text in Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early, resulting in a concept book that mixes “puns, … simple rhymes, silly words and repetition to achieve a satisfying snappiness,” according to a Publishers Weekly critic.
A household of pet lovers is the focus of Ninety-Three in My Family. In the story, Perl’s young narrator is quizzed by a skeptical teacher and must describe, in detail, the menagerie that shares his family home. Brought to life in comic cartoon art by Mike Lester, the boy’s household members range from five humans and various dogs and cats to gerbils, goldfish, frogs, and even owls, lions, and armadillos. Perl cleverly frames her story to incorporate addition and subtraction as readers do their own mental tally while following the jaunty text. Ninety-Three in My Family serves as a “rib-tickling romp with many counting opportunities for young listeners,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews writer, and Susan Weitz concluded in School Library Journal that the combination of text and “visual jokes” renders Perl’s story “a comic masterpiece.”
Inspired by a classic schoolyard joke, Perl’s humorous picture books Chicken Butt! and Chicken Butt’s Back! feature the art of Henry Cole. The first story introduces a preoccupied father and his all-too-exuberant son, whose love of silly, irreverent wordplay tests his dad’s patience. “Adults will easily recognize kids’ habits of taking a joke and running with it ad nauseam,” Ian Chipman stated in Booklist, and a Publishers Weekly critic described the narrative in Chicken Butt! as “one of those treasured (by kids at least) moments of parent-child interaction that has no redeeming social value.” A sequel of silliness, Chicken Butt’s Back! centers on a riotous trip to the grocery store, and a writer in Kirkus Reviews stated that the tale’s “denouement is so merrily explosive that just to imagine the shrieking voices of a read-aloud is mightily cheering.”
Perl explores a familiar childhood situation in Dotty, a picture book illustrated by Julia Denos. On her first day at school, young Ida is accompanied by imaginary friend Dotty, an enormous horned creature adorned with polka dots. As the school year progresses, Ida’s classmates—many of whom conjured up their own invisible allies—dispense with their childish fantasies. When Ida is teased by a haughty schoolmate for holding onto Dotty, she reacts angrily until her caring teacher discloses a surprising secret. Perl’s “brisk, reportorial prose allows her to be sympathetic to her holdout heroine,” stated a reviewer in Publishers Weekly, and Kara Dean noted in her Booklist review of Dotty that “the shared experiences between teachers and their pupils will be a source of comfort for young children.”
In Perl’s fractured fairy tale Goatilocks and the Three Bears, a ravenous kid sneaks into her neighbors’ home and devours everything in sight, from porridge and bowls to beds and pajamas. The next day, realizing the error of her ways, Goatilocks returns to the scene of the crime with a most welcome peace offering. “Events in Perl’s humorous and fresh retelling of the traditional tale unfold at a quick pace,” Lynn Vanca remarked in School Library Journal, and Hope Morrison commented in the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books that, with Goatilocks and the Three Bears, “Perl has perfectly nailed the humor, with a light tone and selective word choice that carry the story’s jokes.”
An improbable friendship blossoms between two youngsters with mismatched personalities in Totally Tardy Marty. The title character, an imaginative and easily distracted youngster, continually finds himself at odds with punctual classmate Never-Late Kate, a school monitor. When Kate comes to the rescue after Marty gets stuck in a tree, the pair lose track of time watching the clouds drift by and listening to birds sing. After they earn a reprimand from Never-Late Nate, Marty and Kate vow to work together to prevent another such occurrence. “Perl’s tale nicely shows the vulnerable side of someone seen as perfect,” a writer stated in Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal contributor Judith Constantinides applauded Totally Tardy Marty as a “lighthearted story.”
A classroom pet run amok stars in Perl’s Ferocious Fluffity, which a Kirkus Reviews contributor hailed as “another crowd pleaser” from the versatile author. In the rhyming tale, the arrival of a fluffy, wide-eyed hamster elicits oohs and ahhs from the students in Mr. Drake’s class, and when his warning not to touch is ignored, the children discover that Fluffity also has a set of superlative teeth. Reprising his work on Perl’s “Chicken Butt” stories, Henry Cole brings to life the antic classroom story in humorous watercolor-and-pencil art.
Vintage Veronica, Perl’s debut novel for teen readers, concerns an overweight teen with an eye for fashion and the eccentric characters she meets during a life-changing summer. While working at a vintage clothing store where she displays a talent for spotting stylish treasures among piles of castoffs, Veronica draws the attention of Ginger and Zoe, “mean girl” coworkers, as well as of Len, an awkward stock boy with whom she experiences first love. “ Vintage Veronica provides a realistic snapshot of teen dating,” Emily Chornomaz remarked in School Library Journal. In Booklist, Ilene Cooper applauded the relationship between Veronica and Len, describing it as “a romance that’s as complicated as it is sweet.”
When Life Gives You O.J. finds dog-crazy ten-year-old Zelly Fried recently transplanted from Brooklyn to Vermont. Longing for a pet of her own, Zelly agrees to an outrageous plan concocted by her grandfather, Abraham “Ace” Diamond, that involves caring for a “practice dog”—in reality, a plastic juice container—in hopes of impressing her parents. When Life Gives You O.J. “strikes an admirable balance of humor and pathos—at times in the same scene,” a reviewer noted in Publishers Weekly. In Aces Wild, a sequel, Zelly can earn a sleepover party only if her rambunctious new puppy passes an obedience course. “Readers will laugh along with this sweet story that is chock-full of relatable characters,” Kerry Roeder predicted in School Library Journal.
Framed as a stage play in three acts, The Capybara Conspiracy entertains middle graders in a work that Booklist critic Caitlyn Kling suggested “would make a fun read-aloud.” Olive is a budding playwright, and she is distressed by the fact that Principal Higgley devotes more space to sports than to the school drama club. Brainstorming a way to use drama to make her point, she writes a play and debuts it in front of impartial new-kid-in-school Dev. Along with Dev, readers are treated to the riveting mystery surrounding school mascot Cappy, a capybara that may be a good-luck charm as well. Although her play chronicles her efforts to kidnap the large creature and hold him for ransom, concerns for the roly-poly mammal’s well-being ultimately prompt her to reconsider.
The Capybara Conspiracy “delivers the same sharp wit and humor that readers are used to,” asserted Kling, while in School Library Journal Margaret Capobianco deemed it “a delightful read that begs to be performed aloud.” “Perl’s novel zips along thanks to all the back-and-forth dialogue,” noted a Publishers Weekly critic, and the book’s “unexpected ending and comprehensive notes on how to stage the play round out an amusing tale.”
In her middle-grade novel All Three Stooges, Perl offers “a welcome portrayal of a very difficult situation’s impact on someone not ready to deal with it,” according to Horn Book critic Shoshana Flax. Seventh-grader Noah Cohen loves nothing more than spending time with his lifelong pal, Dash, and Dash’s father, Gil, who shares the boys’ obsession with classic comedy routines. When Gil dies suddenly and unexpectedly—the result of a suicide—Dash falls into despair, shutting himself off from Noah completely. In a desperate attempt to reconnect with his pal, Noah makes a series of poor decisions that cast doubt on his level of maturity, prompting the postponement of his bar mitzah.
All Three Stooges earned a positive critical reception. “Noah’s grief is palpable,” Elizabeth Bush commented in the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, “and his struggle between supporting his friend and sorting through his own feelings is effectively portrayed.” In School Library Journal, Anne Jung-Mathews also praised the central character, remarking that “Noah is a funny, often irreverent, imperfect character to whom readers will relate.” In the opinion of Voice of Youth Advocates reviewer Courtney Huse Wika, Perl’s novel “captures—painfully at times—the vulnerability of love and friendship, but it also deftly deals with issues of parental suicide, death, and grief.”
In the picture book The Ninth Night of Hanukkah a family attempts to return to some normalcy shortly after moving into a new house at the start of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Siblings Rachel and Max come to Mom’s rescue when she is unable to find their menorah and candles by making one themselves and borrowing candles from a neighbor. The building’s landlord donates French fries in place of latke when Dad can’t find the special pan to cook them in. The gelt is replaced with chocolate chips, while newspaper is used to wrap the gifts, proving that with a little bit of imagination, decent substitutes can be found in any situation. Writing in School Library Journal, Robbin E. Friedman claimed that “this cozy Hanukkah story reframes the holiday and encourages readers to bring in the whole community.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews suggested that “this pleasant tale will be as useful on a community-helper shelf as in the holiday collection.”
(open new)When Carrot Met Cookie introduces new friends Carrot and Cookie. Carrot is grounded and bright, while Cookie is warm and sweet. They teach each other things the other doesn’t knonw how to do. However, Carrot begins to wilt when Cookie’s other friends—Lollipop and Cupcake—make fun of Carrot. Likewise, Carrot’s vegetable friends make fun of Cookie, which makes him feel crummy. Neither one stands up for the other, causing strains in their friendship. Cookie asks for advice from family members. Aunt C.C., a carrot cake, shows that the friendship between sweets and vegetables can be a very good thing. In a review in School Library Journal, Myiesha Speight insisted that “this tale of two unlikely friends is sure to delight.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked that “delightful background details … up the charm factor.” However, the same critic concluded that “crisp execution doesn’t mitigate a soggy premise.”
In A Whale of a Tea Party: Ready-to-Read Level 2, Whale lives along on a sparse island. She imagines that some of the rocks are her friends. A snail and quail come to the island, and she invites them to join their tea party. Whale has the best day ever with her new, real friends. Writing in School Library Journal, Jennifer Strattman noted that the book “reinforces early reading concepts and illustrates the true beauty of friendships new and old.”
With the nonfiction transitional book, Truth or Lie: Dogs!, Perl introduces young readers to an assortment of statements about dogs, giving them the opportunity to guess if it is factual or not. Pictures and illustrations about dogs aid the textual information that teaches uncommon facts about a range of dog breeds and dogs in general. Writing in School Library Journal, Linda Annable suggested that “those looking to enhance their collection of nonfiction, science-based transitional readers will “sniff out” a great addition with” Truth or Lie: Dogs!.
In The Three Little Guinea Pigs, sisters Rosie, Minty, and Pumpkin move out of their house and set up a new life. Their mother warned them to be wary of foxes, though, so they decide to build houses to protect themselves. The first sister makes her house from hay. The second builds her house from cardboard. The third sister builds her house from a combination of sticks, leaves, and carrots. This take on “The Three Little Pigs” finds each guinea pig safe from the fox after learning a lesson. A Kirkus Reviews contributor said that the picture book is “engaging, if not especially original. Still, young guinea pig owners will want this book on their shelves.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly commented that “realistic details about guinea pig behavior add interest … as detailed in the back matter’s Fascinating Facts.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2005, Gillian Engberg, review of Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early, p. 1287; April 15, 2009, Ian Chipman, review of Chicken Butt!, p. 46; February 15, 2010, Ilene Cooper, review of Vintage Veronica, p. 72; July 1, 2010, Kara Dean, review of Dotty, p. 65; June 1, 2014, Carolyn Phelan, review of Goatilocks and the Three Bears, p. 70; September 15, 2016, Caitlin Kling, review of The Capybara Conspiracy: A Novel in Three Acts, p. 52; October 15, 2017, John Peters, review of All Three Stooges, p. 55.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, September 1, 2011, Hope Morrison, review of When Life Gives You O.J., p. 40; September 1, 2014, Hope Morrison, review of Goatilocks and the Three Bears, p. 55; January 1, 2018, Elizabeth Bush, review of All Three Stooges, pp. 215-216.
Horn Book, March 1, 2018, Shoshana Flax, review of All Three Stooges, p. 94.
Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2006, review of Ninety-Three in My Family, p. 794; March 1, 2009, review of Chicken Butt!; March 1, 2011, review of Chicken Butt’s Back!; May 15, 2011, review of When Life Gives You O.J.; April 1, 2013, review of Aces Wild; June 15, 2013, review of King of the Zoo; May 1, 2014, review of Goatilocks and the Three Bears; July 15, 2015, review of Totally Tardy Marty; June 1, 2016, review of Ferocious Fluffity; October 15, 2017, review of All Three Stooges; September 1, 2020, review of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah; August 15, 2021, review of When Carrot Met Cookie; December 1, 2022, review of The Three Little Guinea Pigs.
Publishers Weekly, February 21, 2005, review of Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early, p. 173; March 30, 2009, review of Chicken Butt!, p. 50; July 5, 2010, review of Dotty, p. 41; August 8, 2016, review of The Capybara Conspiracy; October 23, 2017, review of All Three Stooges, p. 82; December 12, 2022, review of The Three Little Guinea Pigs, p. 70.
School Library Journal, April 1, 2005, Joy Fleishacker, review of Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early, p. 108; October 1, 2006, Susan Weitz, review of Ninety-Three in My Family, p. 123; April 1, 2009, Susan E. Murray, review of Chicken Butt!, p. 115; February 1, 2010, Emily Chornomaz, review of Vintage Veronica, p. 122; August 1, 2010, Catherine Callegari, review of Dotty, p. 83; March 1, 2011, review of Chicken Butt’s Back!; May 15, 2011, review of When Life Gives You O.J.; April 1, 2013, review of Aces Wild; June 15, 2013, review of King of the Zoo; May 1, 2014, review of Goatilocks and the Three Bears; July 15, 2015, review of Totally Tardy Marty; August, 2016, Margaret Capobianco, review of The Capybara Conspiracy, p. 94; October 1, 2017, Anne Jung-Mathews, review of All Three Stooges, p. 96; October 1, 2020, Robbin E. Friedman, review of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah, p. 67; September 1, 2021, Myiesha Speight, review of When Carrot Met Cookie, p. 72; January 1, 2022, Jennifer Strattman, review of A Whale of a Tea Party: Ready-to-Read Level 2, p. 65; August 1, 2022, Linda Annable, review of Truth or Lie: Dogs!, p. 98.
Voice of Youth Advocates, February 1, 2018, Courtney Huse Wika, review of All Three Stooges, p. 59.
Wondertime, February 1, 2007, Daniel Pinkwater, “Picture Books That Teach Numbers,” p. 110.
Washingtonian, May 1, 2006, Wendi Kaufman, “Author, Author,” p. 83.
ONLINE
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (September 15, 2020), Deborah Kalb, author interview.
Erica S. Perl website, http://www.ericaperl.com (June 8, 2023).
Gila Green, https://www.gilagreenwrites.com/ (March 11, 2020), author interview.
Pride and Less Prejudice, https://www.prideandlessprejudice.org/ (September 16, 2022), author interview.
Storymamas, http://storymamas.com/ (January 8, 2018), author interview.
Exciting News: I wrote a book with DOLLY PARTON! It’s called BILLY THE KID MAKES IT BIG, it’s illustrated by MacKenzie Haley, and it’s a New York Times Best Seller! Click here to enjoy Dolly talking with NPR’s Melissa Block about the book.
IMG_4233.jpg
Hi, I'm Erica.
I write middle grade novels, picture books, chapter books, early readers, plays, articles, and more. My books have received awards and accolades, including the National Jewish Book Award, and three Sydney Taylor Medals (one silver, two bronze). They've also landed on the New York Times Best Sellers list, as well as multiple State Book Award and “Best Books” lists, and the Pride and Less Prejudice book list.
I teach writing and I am on the faculty at VCFA’s MFA Program. I also present my work at schools, libraries, conferences, and festivals. I’m currently scheduling author visits for the 2023-2024 school year. My author visits are educational, engaging, and empowering. This may be because I have a theater background, a law degree, and an ice cream truck driver's license.
I'd love to hear from you. I can be reached at erica (at) ericaperl (dot) com. Or you can submit a question here, at the bottom of the page.
Yours truly,
Signed Erica.png
Erica
Interview with Erica S. Perl, Author of “A Whale of a Tea Party”
Sep 16
You’ve written many books - picture books, early readers/chapter books, and novels. How did you start writing - did you start with one age range first and then branch out into the others, or did the ideas come to you regardless of the type of book?
I usually start with the idea, and then as I work on it I figure out how to best tell the story. This can take a circuitous path – one of my middle grade novels, When Life Gives You O.J., began as a picture book, and I have a short chapter book series (the Arnold and Louise books) that I tried to write several different ways before arriving at the right format.
What do you like best about writing for each age range? What do you find most challenging about writing for each age range?
I like thinking about my readers and pushing myself to figure out what they’ll find funniest and most interesting. This is both the best and the hardest part of my job as a writer, regardless of the intended age range for any particular book or project.
You speak and present to schools. What do you enjoy most about presenting and working with young children?
I love spending time with kids, and I love how they always surprise me. When I visit schools, I often share stories that I think I know well (because I wrote them), and the students always end up teaching and showing me new things. In fact, if I share books that haven’t been published yet, I usually go home afterwards and do one more edit based on their feedback!
What was the inspiration for A Whale of a Tea Party? How did you come up with the idea?
I wanted to write an origin story for Whale, Quail, and Snail’s friendship. And when my own kids were little, they loved to throw tea parties with stuffed animals and dolls as party guests. So, I liked the idea of starting with just poor Whale, entertaining a bunch of inanimate rocks and wishing for a real friend. And then Quail and Snail entered the story in ways that showed their personalities to the fullest… while also showing Whale the benefits of expanding her social circle in a generous and inclusive way.
Snail’s pronouns are an accepted part of the story - Snail’s gender and pronouns just are rather than being a focus of the story. Why did you choose to write it this way?
When I initially wrote A Whale of a Tea Party, I used she/her pronouns for all three characters. But while I was revising, I thought “wait a second… aren’t snails intersex?” And once I did a little research, I reached out to my editor and explained why we needed to give Snail they/them pronouns. And Sam Ailey, the illustrator, then added the lovely detail of Snail’s card, which includes their pronouns. Another reason I did this is because I’ve known several young children who have sought to use pronouns that differ from their assigned gender. And I liked the idea of introducing a non-binary character to very young readers, because I think casual representation matters. I’ve been very happy to hear from families who say they feel seen because of the Whale, Quail, Snail books. And I am very honored by the series’ inclusion on this year’s PLP list!
The Three Little Guinea Pigs
Erica S. Perl, illus. by Amy Young. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-374-39004-4
Perl (When Carrot Met Cookie) pens another fairy tale remix, this time starring three "not so little" guinea pigs setting off into the world after their birthday. As the three--Rosie, Minty, and Pumpkin-head out wearing birthday-balloonadorned backpacks, Rosie wonders, "Wh-wh-what if there are foxes?" "I'm not afraid of foxes," Minty responds, but practical Pumpkin indicates that "foxes are why we need to make houses," and construction commences. Rosie makes hers out of hay and Minty chooses cardboard, but Pumpkin has more ambitious ideas. When a fox appears, the sisters rally one another, engaging in more than just the traditional "chinny-chin-chin" retort: "He's just a big bully. We can take him!" Their plan to deceive him using their birthday balloons works a treat, and lowkey suspense makes this a suitable story for listeners who prefer that their heroes remain unscathed. The three guinea pigs naturally appear cuddly and adorable, but even the fox, in wash-textured artwork by Young (the Unicorn Named Sparkle series), looks more appealing than threatening. Realisric details about guinea pig behavior add interest, too, as detailed in the back matter's Fascinating Facts. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Carrie Hannigan, HG Literary. Illustrator's agent: Linda Pratt. Wernick & Pratt. (Feb.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"The Three Little Guinea Pigs." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 52, 12 Dec. 2022, p. 70. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A731350550/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a139ef3a. Accessed 20 May 2023.
Perl, Erica S. THE THREE LITTLE GUINEA PIGS Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Children's None) $18.99 2, 28 ISBN: 978-0-374-39004-4
"Three Little Pigs" gets twisted slightly for guinea pig fans.
Guinea pig sisters Rosie, Minty, and Pumpkin are old enough to leave home and go live out in the world. But as they adjust to life away from their mom, their fear of foxes prompts them to build themselves homes made of different materials (in this version, hay; cardboard; and leaves, sticks, and carrots). Each of the guinea pigs looks distinct in the warm watercolor illustrations, but their personalities don't differ much. However, the playful text sometimes rises above the trappings of the story ("Excitedly, they popcorned down the road." "After a lot of wheeking and woinking, the sisters admired their work"). There's still the same huffing and puffing and "chinny-chin-chins" of legions of other takes on the tale, but here at least the clever conclusion hinges on a fact any guinea pig owner will know about their tails (or lack of them), which proves key to foiling the fox's feast. A two-page list of real-life facts about the animals rounds out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Engaging, if not especially original. Still, young guinea pig owners will want this book on their shelves. (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Perl, Erica S.: THE THREE LITTLE GUINEA PIGS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A729072660/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0fab7867. Accessed 20 May 2023.
Perl, Erica S. WHEN CARROT MET COOKIE Penguin Workshop (Children's None) $9.99 9, 28 ISBN: 978-0-593-22631-5
An anthropomorphic carrot and cookie test the limits of their friendship.
Since meeting on their trikes in the park, “bright, grounded” Carrot and “sweet, warm” Cookie have become fast friends. Carrot teaches Cookie to dip in hummus. Cookie teaches Carrot to dunk in milk. But, when Cookie’s other friends Cupcake and Lollipop mock Carrot, Carrot wilts. And, when Carrot’s other vegetable friends mock Cookie, Cookie feels crummy. Neither stands up for the other, straining their relationship and sending Cookie to seek guidance from family. Grandpa (a fig bar) spouts “stale” ideas about desserts acting like desserts. But the child of a muffin and a carrot, Aunt C.C. (a slice of carrot cake) proves that desserts and vegetables can not only be friends but fall in love. Is it too late for Cookie and Carrot to reconcile? With around 190 words and their variants, Perl and Fenske’s collaboration is a pun-filled exploration of friendship. Though the higher word count and relatively small type necessitate some reading fluency, the text never exceeds five sentences on a page and still remains accessible to emerging readers. Fenske’s bright, colorful cartoon art gives personality to each food. Delightful background details, like a pasta-noodle slide and broccoli trees, up the charm factor. But while the overall message is sunny and welcoming, the vegetable/dessert binary trivializes the complexity of racial and cultural difference by using edible stand-ins. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Crisp execution doesn’t mitigate a soggy premise. (Early reader. 4-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Perl, Erica S.: WHEN CARROT MET COOKIE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A671783187/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cc9401da. Accessed 20 May 2023.
PERL, Erica S. When Carrot Met Cookie. illus. by Jonathan Fenske. 32p. Penguin Workshop. Sept. 2021. Tr $9.99. ISBN 9780593226315; pap. $4.99. ISBN 9780593226322.
PreS-Gr 1--Cookie and Carrot are the best of friends. Carrot is grounded and supportive while Cookie is sweet with a warm personality. Even though they're different, they share their hobbies and teach each other new things. Their friendship is tested when Cookie's friends, Cupcake and Lollipop, say mean things about Carrot. When Cookie doesn't defend Carrot, this makes Carrot not want to hang out with Cookie. Then Carrot's friends, Cuke and Zuke, say mean things about Cookie and the rift between the two friends widens when Carrot doesn't speak up. Carrot and Cookie learn that even though they come from different backgrounds that doesn't mean they can't be good friends. They even gather all of Cookie's family members and both friend groups together to prove that they can get along. The picture book's color scheme is vibrant and colorful for a visually engaging reading experience. The backgrounds creatively use different food items as the building blocks for the setting. The work provides an important lesson about standing up for your friends. It also reminds the audience that they can be friends with all types of people regardless of where they're from or to what food group they belong! It is a timely reminder to respect people from different backgrounds and recognize that the stale ideas of the past shouldn't dictate tire future. VERDICT This tale of two unlikely friends is sure to delight.--Myiesha Speight, formerly at Towson Univ., Baltimore
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
Speight, Myiesha. "PERL, Erica S.: When Carrot Met Cookie." School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 9, Sept. 2021, p. 72. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A673471215/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=538e2639. Accessed 20 May 2023.
PERL, Erica S. A Whale of a Tea Party: Ready-to-Read Level 2. illus. by Sam Ailey. 32p. (Whale, Quail, Snail). S. & S./Simon Spotlight. Dec. 2021. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781534497306; pap. $4.99. ISBN 9781534497290.
K-Gr 2--Whale lives on Tiny Island with a palm tree, a mango tree, and lots of rocks. Using her imagination, Whale befriends Lumpo, Bob, and Grumpy Gus, rocks that join her for tea. One day, when Whale leaves the tea party to make sand dollar cookies, two more friends who are not rocks--Quail and Snail--arrive on the island, join for tea, and the three enjoy the "best day ever." A Whale of a Tea Party sets young readers up for friendship. In this sweet, imaginative early reader, Perl weaves in friendship's give-andtake with word repetitions and ending sounds. With a cool palette that blends in warm tones sparingly, Ailey's illustrations illuminate the vast loneliness of living on an island and the richness friends can offer. VERDICT This addition reinforces early reading concepts and illustrates the true beauty of friendships new and old. --Jennifer Strattman
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 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
Strattman, Jennifer. "PERL, Erica S.: A Whale of a Tea Party: Ready-to-Read Level 2." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 1, Jan. 2022, p. 65. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A688744198/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5ace4910. Accessed 20 May 2023.
PERL, Erica S. Truth or Lie: Dogs! illus. by Michael Slack. 48p. (Step into Reading). Random. Aug. 2022. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9780593429112; pap. $4.99. ISBN 9780593429105.
K-Gr 3--Using a winning combination of photographs and illustrations of puppies and dogs, this nonfiction transitional book pulls readers into a game of "Truth or Lie." Age-appropriate fun facts, with a bit of history and geography thrown in, will keep readers interested throughout. There are 10 sets of four statements for readers to dig into in order to distinguish the truths from the lie. For example, did you know that the Norwegian lundehund has six toes on each foot? That's a truth. Would you believe that one of the ways dogs cool down is by sweating through their paws? That's true, too! Back matter includes a list of other titles and websites to visit for those interested in reading and researching further about dogs. As they have done with their other works of fiction, the well-known author/illustrator pair of Perl and Slack have created a nonfiction title with great appeal for readers at this level. VERDICT It's hard to go wrong when presenting young readers a book about dogs. Those looking to enhance their collection of nonfiction, science-based transitional readers will "sniff out" a great addition with this title.--Linda Annable
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 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
Annable, Linda. "PERL, Erica S.: Truth or Lie: Dogs!" School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 8, Aug. 2022, p. 98. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A711673867/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a2aa9851. Accessed 20 May 2023.