Chicken Soup for the Soul KIDS: Oliver Powers Through: Helping Out at Home

by JaNay Brown-Wood, Lorian Tu (Illustrator)

Overview

Everyday heroes never take the easy way out! The Sunshine Squad learns about responsibility.

Before he can play with his friends, Oliver has to finish his chores. . . but there are so many! Sunshine Squad to the rescue! His friends help him finish his homework, clean up, and make his little sister a snack, remembering some of their own jobs along the way. Turn to the back of the book for ideas to help keep track of responsibilities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623542788
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Series:	Chicken Soup for the Soul KIDS
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	750,409
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

JaNay Brown-Wood dreams big. Ever since she was a little girl, she's wanted to become a published author. Her determination paid off with the publication of her first book for children, Imani's Moon. JaNay is also a professor of early childhood education. She lives in California.

Lorian Tu is a children's book author and illustrator. She lives in New England with her family where she creates content for children. https://www.loriantubooks.com

Editorial Reviews

2022-06-08
With help from his friends in the Sunshine Squad, Oliver gets a handle on keeping his room straightened up.

One of (so far) five titles in the series, this episode focuses on themes of cooperation and responsibility. Not only is being unable to find things in his cluttered room a downer, but being told that he can’t go out to play by both parents (who are, like him, brown-skinned and present as African American) until he’s done some cleaning up really puts a crimp in his day—particularly since he doesn’t even know where to start. Enter his fellow squaddies, a diverse group of kids who pitch in to provide basic principles, from sorting toys into piles to turning chores into games…but properly leaving the heavy lifting like making the bed and folding clean clothes for him to do. The illustrations are so bland that even at its messiest, Oliver’s spacious room has an uncluttered look, but his urban neighborhood’s thorough diversity as well as views of his dad dusting and vacuuming the apartment while his mom washes dishes send unspoken messages of their own. The main points are further articulated in a closing poem about taking responsibility and a set of prose guidelines for establishing a fun cleanup routine. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Message-driven, but the advice and the values are both worth considering. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews