Polka Dots for Poppy

August 8, 2016
It's back-to-school shopping time, and most of the girls in this all-sister family are finding what they want. For Ava, it's princess-y gear; for Isabelle, the exact purple dress she dreamed of; and for Charlie Ann, a must-have cowboy vest. Little Poppy, however (who, truth to tell, is probably still too young for school), is out of luck: nothing has her beloved polka dotsâa real problem considering that her entire vocabulary seems to consist of the words "polka dots." As Poppy sleeps, her sisters add dots to all her clothes so that in the morning, Poppy (and Mama, who admirably keeps her cool) discovers that even Poppy's sandals are, as the color-coded typography reports, covered "with red and red-orange and blue-green and green-blue Polka Dots!" Although slighter than Schwartz's previous works, there are real pleasures to be had in her plainspoken, knowing, and always empathic text ("Good night, fashion plates" says Mama as she turns out the lights on the girls) and pictures that gracefully and subtly portray a family determined to make sure that each member gets her due. Ages 4â8.

Three girls help their baby sister get the clothing she covets.In the opening scene, Mama tells her four daughters that they'll go back-to-school shopping. Eldest sister Ava wants a princess dress, Isabelle wants a purple one, Charlie Ann has her heart set on a cowboy vest, and Poppy just says, "Polka Dots!" With the exception of Charlie Ann, who appears to be Asian, the family members seem to be white, and no other parent is mentioned or depicted. Were some or all of the girls adopted? Is Mama a single parent? We can't be certain, but the casual depiction of a nontraditional family is notable. At the first stop, each of the sisters successfully finds just the right shoes for her ensemble, but, alas, there are no polka-dot shoes for Poppy. Three stores later, each sister has her desired outfit--except for Poppy, who isn't seduced by Mama's suggestion that "stripes can be very nice" and is left cold by her sisters' encouragement. But when she falls asleep at night, the sisters are inspired to decorate white clothing with polka dots. Poppy is delighted the next morning, and Mama is surprised and only a little bit chagrined at the mess. Throughout, Schwartz's signature cartoon style and cheery palette match the light mood of the text. A spot-on depiction of sisterly love. (Picture book. 3-6) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Poppy and her three sisters are heading back to school, but first they must partake in the well-known ritual of back-to-school shopping. Each girl has her own idea of what is stylish, ranging from purple frills to cowboy boots. What young Poppy desires most, as the title suggests, is, of course, polka dots. Unfortunately, a trip to all of the girly stores in the mall yields no dotted garb, and the child is crushed. Luckily, that night, while Poppy sleeps, her creative big sisters decorate a formal white outfit with a variety of colored dots. Fortunately, their indulgent mother doesn't seem to mind the girls' flair for design. In the end, all of the siblings happily anticipate the first day of school. The bright, robustly patterned illustrations add layers to this simple story. VERDICT This heartwarming tale of sisterly love makes a super read-aloud and is recommended as a general purchase for any collection.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh

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