Monday, November 16, 2020

Twig and Turtle: Big Move to a Tiny House








Twig and Turtle: Big Move to a Little House
Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Paul Franco, Illustrator
Pixel Ink, 2020 100 pages
Grades 2-4
Realistic Fiction
Twig and Turtle series #1

Its only October and Twig and her little sister Turtle are experiencing their third first day of school. The family decided to simplify by building and moving into a tiny house in a small town in Colorado. While the house was being build they had to stay with Grandma, where Twig fell in puppy-love with her uncle's dog, who was also a new resident. Now Grandma must relocate the dog and Twig wants him for her very own. But how do you fit a great dane into a tiny house? Meanwhile, Twig is having a hard time making friends. It seems that some of the other kids are making fun of her and she sits alone at lunch. Turtle is more outgoing and seems to be having an easier time, but is she really? Twig's teacher recommends her for a before-school social skills club, which sounds horrible. Her parents make her attend, where surprises await. Allies emerge for the campaign to "Save Bo" and a brilliant plan is concocted. Can Twig and her team save Bo before it's too late?

Jacobson ventures into chapter book territory with this new series start. Tiny houses are trending and though I know of a picture book, this is the first work of longer fiction featuring characters who reside in one of which I am aware. Readers will be fascinated about life in the tiny house and the accommodations the family must endure to make it work. Kids will also relate to Twig and her anxieties about change and fitting in and the struggle to gain some control over her life. She proves to be a supportive big sister, loyal friend, and terrific brain-stormer. The quest to "Save Bo" doesn't happen exactly the way Twig planned, but is satisfying all the same. The adults in this book are caring and supportive and help Twig to better fit in and solve her problems. The vocabulary in this chapter book for emerging readers and plot arc are right on target for the audience. Black and white illustrations, sometimes full-paged, are captivating and plentiful. This is a fun and loving family with whom young readers will enjoy spending time. Any family that "hurkle-durks", and "snugabugs" is okay in my book. The second installment in the series Toy Store Trouble was released last month with a third projected for release in the near future.

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