What We're Reading: Brenda

Sylvia Jean, Drama Queen and The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst

I really enjoyed both of these titles by Lisa Campbell Ernst. The stories themselves are cute and the main characters are lovable and spunky. The illustrations are done in pastels and are warm and colorful. I will definitely be checking out other titles by this author!

In Sylvia Jean, Drama Queen young Sylvia the pig has a costume for every occasion. When she goes to the dentist she dresses up as a superhero because "they're brave and have sparkly smiles" and when working with her mother in the garden she is a bee. People in town are so used to Sylvia's outfits that when a costume party with a prize for the best costume is announced everyone expects Sylvia to win. Sylvia announces that it will be her "best costume ever ... you'll never recognize me." However, as the day of the party comes closer Sylvia can't come up with an idea - what will she do! The ending of this book is sweet and will be a gentle reminder that the best way to stand out in a crowd is to just be yourself!

The Gingerbread Girl is a modern retelling of the original classic featuring a girl instead of a boy! Although at one point it seems like the Gingerbread Girl will meet the same fate as her brother she is one smart cookie and is able to outsmart the fox who ate her brother. Little girls will like her take-charge attitude and will enjoy having a strong female character to emulate. I enjoyed the clever rhymes used throughout this story and overall loved this book with one exception; toward the end of the book the author uses the words "dumber" and "airhead" in comments the fox is making about the Gingerbread Girl. Neither is necessary and when reading the book to my daughter I skip over these sentences - she doesn't even notice!