Hannah Sparkles: A Friend Through Rain or Shine

by Robin Mellom, Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Illustrator)

Overview

Perfect for fans of the Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious books, Hannah Sparkles is sure to bring sparkly smiles to countless readers. Hannah was born happy! She’s thrilled when she learns she has a new neighbor: Sunny Everbright. With a name like that, how could Sunny not be the perfect friend for Hannah?

But Sunny isn’t into glitter or rainbows. She prefers rain, mud, and lizards. Hannah isn’t sure that she and Sunny can be friends at all…until Hannah learns that everyone has their own kind of sparkle, and that friendship can be found in surprising ways.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062322333
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	641,754
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Robin Mellom is the author of several middle grade novels, including the Classroom series, Confessions from the Principal’s Kid, and The Pages Between Us, which was coauthored with Lindsey Leavitt. Her own child was born just like Hannah Sparkles: without crying one bit! Robin lives in California with her family, where she twirls, sparkles, and shines as often as possible. These days, her go-to happy place is the beach. Learn more at www.robinmellom.com. 

Vanessa Brantley-Newton is the author and illustrator of Let Freedom Sing and Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table and has illustrated numerous children’s books, including Hannah Sparkles. Vanessa currently makes her nest in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, their daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes. See more of her work at www.oohlaladesignstudio.blogspot.com.

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2017
PreS-Gr 1—Hannah Sparkles has been shockingly perky and happy since birth. "Twirl, Sparkle, Shine!" And she shares these attributes liberally. Then one day Hannah gets the best news—a new neighbor. "This is better than a pet unicorn!" She's so excited to meet Sunny Everbright that she even forgets to bring her pom-poms. But after a day with Sunny, Hannah has lost her sparkle. Despite her best attempts, Hannah cannot convince Sunny to ride bikes, find butterflies, or draw unicorns. Sunny like bugs, mud, and rain. It is only when Hannah's mother says that "maybe Sunny finds her sparkle in other things" that Hannah understands that it's OK for pals to have different interests. She declares that "the two of us will always be friends." Mellom's first-person text complements Brantley-Newton's spot-on illustrations. Readers can practically feel Hannah's perky goodness and Sunny's amusement. The way the text is laid out among the illustrations and the use of an oversize font for emphasis make the book visually appealing and great for one-on-one sharing or read-alouds. VERDICT This title is sure to be popular with the Fancy Nancy crowd and has a nice bit of friendship wisdom to boot. Purchase as needed.—Catherine Callegari, Reston Regional Library, VA

School Library Journal

2017-04-26
Do friends always have to enjoy the same activities?Hannah, white with long brown braids and dressed in a deep pink jumper, cheers with her sparkly pompoms. She loves to smile, and she keeps a unicorn in her bike basket. When Sunny Everbright moves in nearby, Hannah imagines a cheerful white blonde dressed in bright colors. To the contrary, Sunny has pale skin and messy black hair, jeans, and black sneakers. She answers "no" to Hannah's excited questions: "Do you like riding bikes?…Finding butterflies?…Drawing unicorns?" When Hannah tries to "teach Sunny Everbright how to be happy" by saying "For drawing hearts, magenta is your go-to color," Sunny draws a black spider. When Hannah shows her how to make daisy chains, Sunny finds a spider and a web. When Hannah coos, "If you need a smile, the strawberry is your go-to fruit," Sunny plops in the mud. Suddenly, it begins to rain, and Sunny begins to enjoy herself. A very confused Hannah finds solace on her jeans-wearing mom's lap as her mother wisely explains: "We all find happiness in different ways, Hannah." The next morning, an invitation arrives to "play in the rain," complete with a lizard twirling a pompom. Comical illustrations are colorful and movement-filled, combining sketching with digital programs; Sunny is likely to be read as either white or Asian. The text can be a little precious but succeeds in validating both girls' preferences. A serviceable title on friendship. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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