Free Kid to Good Home
Free Kid to Good Home
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2022--
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Gecko Press
Annotation: In this comical twist on sibling rivalry, a girl decides she needs a new family--so she writes Free Kid on a box and waits
 
Reviews: 2
Catalog Number: #315596
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Gecko Press
Copyright Date: 2022
Edition Date: 2022 Release Date: 05/03/22
Pages: 109 pages
ISBN: 1-7765-7442-7
ISBN 13: 978-1-7765-7442-1
Dewey: E
Dimensions: 21 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Disappointed that her new baby brother "looks just like a potato" and is always crying, a young girl heads to town to offer herself for free to a new family. She imagines she'll have servants, a big backyard, and, most importantly, no baby brother. The spunky narrator spends the day in a cardboard box with "FREE KID" written on the front. People walk by, but no one stops. As she waits, a lost dog, stray cat, and turtle join her. One by one, each animal is claimed by a passerby, and the girl finds herself alone in the box once again. Finally, at day's end, a loving family stops by "looking for a sister for our little potato." Ito's choice of a first-person voice -- "maybe I don't look special enough just sitting here" -- lets readers experience the fluctuations in the main character's emotions as she first rejects and then feels rejected by possible families. In the satisfying conclusion, she chooses her own family, giving her a much-needed sense of control. Uncluttered pages with just a few sentences on each feature spare cartoon-style black-line drawings with red accents. The self-declared "cute-kid" sports a black-and-white pleated skirt, short black hair topped with a red bow, and lollipop red cheeks. The chapter-book trim size should appeal to young readers looking to tackle a longer book; they will be rewarded by getting to know this can-do narrator.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A girl clad in a white shirt and a big red bow meets her baby brother, Daichan, who looks “just like a potato,” for the first time in this humorous comic. Less than impressed, she runs away from home to find a family who appreciates her, “with parents who will love me, and only me.” After finding a cardboard box and penning “Free Kid” on the side, she attempts to attract a new family by tooting a horn and waving flags proclaiming “cute kid!” Her methods bear no fruit, so she waits patiently (“No one’s going to feel sorry for a kid who’s dancing”), and is soon joined by a dog, cat, and turtle. When her companions are taken in and the girl is left alone, she begins to suspect it wouldn’t be so bad being a big sister to a potato. Simple line drawings with bold red accents against a white background provide visual gentleness, and the narrative recalls Shel Silverstein’s poem “One Sister for Sale.” In his first English translated work, Ito’s deadpan humor and the characters’ emotive facial expressions inject jocularity in a welcome exploration of the anxiety that some children face in response to siblinghood. Ages 5–9. (May)

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Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Word Count: 1,584
Reading Level: 2.2
Interest Level: K-3
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 2.2 / points: 0.5 / quiz: 518377 / grade: Lower Grades
Lexile: 520L

An hilarious story about sibling rivalry and a childs impulse to run away from home(and come back again!)

When my squawking baby brother arrived, I realized I needed a new family. No one seemed to mind when I packed my bag. I took a box and used my best handwriting to write FREE KID, then waited for some new parents to take me home.

Waiting in a box like an abandoned pet and encountering the passersby changes the girls perspective. At the end of the day, when her parents pretend they need an older sister for their new baby, she is ready to leave her box and go happily back home.

In this comical twist on sibling rivalry, a girl decides she needs a new familyso she writes Free Kid on a box and waits in the street for some better parents to choose her.

Translated from the Japanese edition, this accessible story is perfect for children starting on independent reading and is illustrated in a graphic comic style that really captures childlike subversive humor. Ideal for fans of Charles Schulzs Peanuts comic strip.

A useful book to teach young children about welcoming a new baby sibling to the family, or exploring playful sibling relationships, through funny and lighthearted storytelling.

Hiroshi Ito was born in Tokyo, Japan, and graduated from Waseda University with a degree in education. He began creating picture books while still a student and has since published many award-winning books.

Praise for Free Kid to Good Home

"Ito uses words and pictures with equal skill to craft this hilariously willful little visionary."The New York Times

"[A]n instant classic."Children's Publishers Favorite Reads of 2022, Publishers Weekly

a light, engaging tale that will appeal to comic book fans and all young readers who have secretly (or not so secretly) resented the arrival of a potato-faced baby to the family.The School Reading List

young readerswill be rewarded by getting to know this can-do narrator.The Horn Book

"More and more profound with every read.Just Imagine

"This is a GEM of a book and I can see why it is a bestseller! Highly recommended."NZ Poetry Shelf


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