Jasper John Dooley, Star of the Week

Irrepressible Jasper embraces his role as classroom Star of the Week. True, show-and-tell does not go as planned. His classmates are surprisingly unimpressed by his lint collection, but he has high hopes for Family Tree day. His best friend, Ori, has a baby sister (named Wa-wa-wa-wa for her incessant crying), and Jasper wants one, too. Stymied by his parents' refusal to check the hospital for extra babies, Jasper fleshes out his family tree by building a brother out of wood. Like show-and-tell, having a wooden brother does not unfold as Jasper expects. Characters are likable and quirky, and their exuberance is captured in intermittent pencil illustrations. This well-written, funny, and engaging story is a promising start to a new chapter-book series, and early readers will anticipate Jasper and Ori's further adventures. Share with kids looking for a boy version of Sara Pennypacker's Clementine series or with fans of Lenore Look's Alvin Ho books.--Harold, Suzanne Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 1-4-Jasper John Dooley is excited about being the class Star of the Week. He is looking forward to participating in some activities, but things don't seem to go as planned. As Jasper prepares for show-and-tell, his friend Ori storms into class late and talks about his brand-new baby sister, taking the attention from the star and his enthusiasm for his lint collection. While working on his family-tree poster, Jasper realizes he is jealous of Ori and the past Stars of the Week, who have large family trees. The class laughs when Jasper shows off his three-dimensional "Family Stick" with an imaginary sibling. When he builds an imaginary brother out of wood and brings him to class, everyone laughs again. With each mishap, Jasper is scared that he will lose his star badge. This first title in a transitional chapter book series introduces an enthusiastic boy full of creativity and everyday concerns. Line drawings in various sizes support his quirky personality and zeal. This title serves as an easier, male rendition of Sarah Pennypacker's "Clementine" series (Hyperion).-Janet Weber, Tigard Public Library, OR (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(Fiction. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Irrepressible Jasper embraces his role as classroom Star of the Week. True, show-and-tell does not go as planned. His classmates are surprisingly unimpressed by his lint collection, but he has high hopes for Family Tree day. His best friend, Ori, has a baby sister (named "Wa-wa-wa-wa" for her incessant crying), and Jasper wants one, too. Stymied by his parents' refusal to check the hospital for extra babies, Jasper fleshes out his family tree by building a brother out of wood. Like show-and-tell, having a wooden brother does not unfold as Jasper expects. Characters are likable and quirky, and their exuberance is captured in intermittent pencil illustrations. This well-written, funny, and engaging story is a promising start to a new chapter-book series, and early readers will anticipate Jasper and Ori's further adventures. Share with kids looking for a boy version of Sara Pennypacker's Clementine series or with fans of Lenore Look's Alvin Ho books. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

Gr 1–4—Jasper John Dooley is excited about being the class Star of the Week. He is looking forward to participating in some activities, but things don't seem to go as planned. As Jasper prepares for show-and-tell, his friend Ori storms into class late and talks about his brand-new baby sister, taking the attention from the star and his enthusiasm for his lint collection. While working on his family-tree poster, Jasper realizes he is jealous of Ori and the past Stars of the Week, who have large family trees. The class laughs when Jasper shows off his three-dimensional "Family Stick" with an imaginary sibling. When he builds an imaginary brother out of wood and brings him to class, everyone laughs again. With each mishap, Jasper is scared that he will lose his star badge. This first title in a transitional chapter book series introduces an enthusiastic boy full of creativity and everyday concerns. Line drawings in various sizes support his quirky personality and zeal. This title serves as an easier, male rendition of Sarah Pennypacker's "Clementine" series (Hyperion).—Janet Weber, Tigard Public Library, OR