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A review by strawberrycakes
Helping Mayor Patty by Fran Manushkin
4.0
What a lovely book!
"Helping Mayor Patty" is a wonderful book for kids who first learn to read by themselves or be read to by or with an adult.
Haley is introduced as the new kid in the neighbourhood and soon becomes friends with Katie and the other children. The kids attend the city council meeting along with their parents, caregivers and other people in town. While the adults name practical things they need in their town, such as a new fire station and streetlights, the kids agree their neighbourhood needs ice cream, and, thinking of what else they might need, Katie starts drawing a map of their block. Meanwhile, the adults are pictured helping each other out with their needs. All the kids agree they need ice cream until Katie comes up with the idea that they need a neighbourhood park to be able to play safely and have fun. This idea is then voted on by the council and it is agreed that there will be a park. Katie mentions it to Haley as a surprise, and the children are then seen playing in their new park.
At the end of the book Katie interviews her aunt, the new mayor, who explains what it means to be a mayor and how to become one, and there is a glossary of words (city council, mayor, neighbourhood, ..) with helpful explanations what they mean and how to pronounce them.
What I really loved about the book is that it was very inclusive of all nationalities, painting a realistic picture, and also that it shows how children can change their world and their future, without waiting for adults to do it for them.
It's easy for kids to relate to Katie and her friends, especially when they think that ice cream is the most important improvement!
I would have liked to see more of Haley in the book as her introduction in the beginning seems important, but she is only mentioned again at the very end.
Thank you to Capstone for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley!
"Helping Mayor Patty" is a wonderful book for kids who first learn to read by themselves or be read to by or with an adult.
Haley is introduced as the new kid in the neighbourhood and soon becomes friends with Katie and the other children. The kids attend the city council meeting along with their parents, caregivers and other people in town. While the adults name practical things they need in their town, such as a new fire station and streetlights, the kids agree their neighbourhood needs ice cream, and, thinking of what else they might need, Katie starts drawing a map of their block. Meanwhile, the adults are pictured helping each other out with their needs. All the kids agree they need ice cream until Katie comes up with the idea that they need a neighbourhood park to be able to play safely and have fun. This idea is then voted on by the council and it is agreed that there will be a park. Katie mentions it to Haley as a surprise, and the children are then seen playing in their new park.
At the end of the book Katie interviews her aunt, the new mayor, who explains what it means to be a mayor and how to become one, and there is a glossary of words (city council, mayor, neighbourhood, ..) with helpful explanations what they mean and how to pronounce them.
What I really loved about the book is that it was very inclusive of all nationalities, painting a realistic picture, and also that it shows how children can change their world and their future, without waiting for adults to do it for them.
It's easy for kids to relate to Katie and her friends, especially when they think that ice cream is the most important improvement!
I would have liked to see more of Haley in the book as her introduction in the beginning seems important, but she is only mentioned again at the very end.
Thank you to Capstone for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley!