Review: Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week by Caroline Adderson

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

At last, it's Jasper John Dooley's turn to be Star of the Week at school. Unfortunately, nothing turns out as planned. His Show and Tell falls flat. A new baby at his friend Ori's house steals his spotlight. And worst of all, the new baby has only-child Jasper wondering if his own family is too small. When Jasper decides to build himself a brother (named Earl) out of wood, Earl's schoolyard shenanigans send Jasper to the principal's office! But with a little help from family and friends, things turn around for Jasper. And by the time Friday arrives, he is once again sure that he has what it takes to be a star. Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week is the first in a series of chapter books featuring a charismatic and funny central character. An only child with active, loving parents (and a most impressive lint collection), Jasper John Dooley is a true original.

MY TAKE:

I'm not sure why I decided to request this book, but I'm glad I did.

In Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week, Jasper Dooley will be his class' Star of the Week. However, there are plenty of distractions that might make his week a little bit more challenging that he would like.

The Star of the Week is a great idea. We don't have a Star of the Week thing here, and I would probably have been too shy to participate, but there would probably be a lot of kids who would be into this. I liked how Jasper was able to come up with a way to salvage his project to make it seem like a science experiment, even if it wasn't. That's one witty kid.

Jasper seems like a handful, but not the kind that gets your blood boiling. He's a lucky kid too, as his parents are very caring and supportive of him and his quirky antics. I did find the story arc about his brother/imaginary friend a little bit strange. Then again, I never had an imaginary friend so perhaps his interaction with Earl was quite normal.

The most surprising thing about this book for me, where the biology lessons. Well, they weren't straightforward biology lessons, but I appreciated how the book was able to point out things about the body that kids probably won't notice or wonder about.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. The illustration style is very nice and charming, even without color.
2. It gives a quick biology lesson.
3. Little boys will like this book.

THE BAD:

1. Some kids may find Jasper a little bit weird.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Sugar cookies were Jasper's favorite. He liked to lick the sugar sprinkles off the top after they were baked.

READ IT IF:

1. Your kid has been asking for a new sibling but you're not ready to have a new child yet.
2. You want your little boy to read more.
3. You like children's books that portray happy and realistic family relationships.

RATING:


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