Poppy's Best Babies

May 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-Poppy the bunny is excited about her grandma GeeGee's visit. When she gets home from school, her hip grandma is pulling up on a motorcycle with her guitar on her back. Poppy has brand-new twin sisters, and those babies are ruining her quality time with GeeGee. Her grandma is too busy helping with the twins to make puppets, or cook Root Beer Carrots. Even reading at bedtime is spoiled when GeeGee falls asleep while reading. After Poppy makes a huge mess in the kitchen, GeeGee confronts her and the bunny can stand it no longer: "Poppy stomped. Worst babies! She stomped again and threw her spoon. Worst Grandma!" GeeGee promptly sends her to her room to do some thinking. After some time (and tears), Poppy comes up with the idea for a party to welcome the twins and GeeGee, and her friends and neighbors show up for the fun. Mixed-media illustrations with a matte quality are visually engaging. Hand-lettered speech bubbles punctuate the text but do not overwhelm it. Poppy, with her long white bunny ears, will charm readers while Poppy's savvy classmate, Petunia, provides comic relief. VERDICT Children adjusting to new siblings will relate to the content, and the ending is a loving resolution to Poppy frustrations. Perfect for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
Can Poppy learn to share her beloved GeeGee with her new twin baby sisters?Poppy, an anthropomorphic bunny, is excited both about her new baby sisters and about GeeGee's two-week visit. Kids at school remember that GeeGee always does crafts with Poppy, but veteran older siblings also warn her that the babies may monopolize GeeGee's time. When the latter proves true, Poppy's rabbit nose is decidedly out of joint, and she starts resenting the babies and her grandmother. She acts out, making messes and deciding that GeeGee is the "worst grandma" and the twins are the "worst babies." Exasperated after one terrific mess, GeeGee sends Poppy to her room, and in a contemplative spread that slows down time by showing Poppy seven times in one scene, she reflects on her actions and comes up with a plan to make things right and not "be the worst big sister." The about-face she undergoes as she enlists friends to plan a welcome party for the babies and GeeGee might strike some as far-fetched. Also potentially implausible is just how laid-back and open Poppy's parents are to having a great big party while parenting newborn twins. Despite such quibbles, Bonnet's emotive, energetic illustrations help create memorable characters, especially in their depiction of rocker, biker GeeGee and through Poppy's dramatic facial expressions (especially the scowls).Both baby twins and a grandma-centered storyline add range to the new-baby shelf. (Picture book. 3-6)

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May 14, 2018
Poppy, a little bunny with ears so long they trail to the floor, is excited that her beloved grandmother GeeGee has come to help with her new twin sisters. But the twins occupy most of GeeGee’s time; she’s too busy to make crafts with Poppy and can’t even stay awake while reading her a bedtime story. Poppy finally reaches a breaking point. “Worst babies!” she shouts, throwing a tantrum in the kitchen, “Worst Grandma!” Bonnet’s mixed media and collage illustrations start out winsome, but Bonnet soon shows she can make Poppy’s disappointment, hurt, and righteous anger visceral and authentic. In this follow-up to Poppy’s Best Paper, Eaddy takes an unhurried approach to storytelling, giving emotional depth to a familiar tale of displacement. Readers will feel sympathy for Poppy, though the tough situation ultimately leads her to become more self-reliant and capable of putting others first. Ages 5–8.