Wisteria Jane

September 21, 2015
Debut author Harris introduces Wisteria Jane, an inquisitive girl with springy blonde curls, gangly limbs, a gap between her front teeth, and a folksy narrative voice (“My momma named me Wisteria on account of wisteria being her most favorite flower”). When Wisteria’s friend Ella shows her one of her baby pictures, Wisteria tells her that perhaps she was named after an elephant, since she looks like “a wrinkly mess” in the photo. A heart-to-heart conversation with Wisteria’s mother, about not always saying what’s on one’s mind, leads to an apology and reconciliation between the friends. Hoyt creates a peaceful suburban neighborhood bursting with vegetation and brings a caricatured aesthetic to the characters that matches Wisteria’s big personality. While there’s little that’s novel about the story’s approach to the subject of empathy, a good-natured sense of humor helps carry it along. Ages 3–8.

August 15, 2015
A little girl who takes telling the truth too far learns to temper her tongue and make up with a friend. Wisteria Jane's curly blond hair is a wild tangle, which reflects her thoughts perfectly. Her mom always tells her, "I named you after the most beautiful flower I'd ever seen, because you were the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen." Wisty's baby pictures reflect that, so she gets to thinking what her friend Ella's baby pictures might look like. It's a quick jump from the wrinkled newborn she sees to telling Ella that her full name must be Elephant, as she was a "wrinkly mess." Well, that doesn't go over too well, and Wisty's mom has a chat with her about hurting her friends' feelings and knowing when it's better to keep her mouth shut than to tell the brutal truth. Wisty gets practice when she brings her apology picture-a rainbow unicorn-to Ella. Her face gets red, her mouth turns down, her eyes bug, her fists clench, but taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly help her regain her cool and not say what she thinks. Hoyt's loose, cartoonlike illustrations are bright and cheery, and the facial expressions and body language are highlights. A valuable lesson about tact for any age. (Picture book. 3-7)

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October 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-Wisteria Jane is a spunky girl with a lot of attitude. She is opinionated and energetic, and sometimes her "truth-telling" gets her into trouble. In this story, the trouble comes when Wisteria tells her best friend that she was ugly as a baby and refuses to apologize. The book then turns into a teaching moment about watching what you say and keeping some hurtful thoughts to yourself. Unfortunately, the story falls short and the moral seems forced. Wisteria learns to tell her "mouth not to say all the things her brain thinks" with hardly any coaching at all and is able to control her anger seemingly effortlessly. The pictures are pleasant and detailed, which helps to keep the story interesting and may entertain some readers. However, this title is less inspired than other existing books about friendship and kindness, and readers would likely find more enjoyment from Helen Lester's Hurty Feelings (HMH, 2014). VERDICT An additional purchase for picture book collections needing supplemental titles about kindness to friends.-Ellen Norton, Naperville Public Library, Naperville, IL

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