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Big Girl Panties, by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Valeria Petrone, 2012, New York, NY: Robin Corey Books. 24 pages. ISBN: 978-0307931528.
Age/Interest Level: 2-4 years
Lexile Level: 240L
Awards: N/A
Reader Annotation: A little girl is growing up. Down with diapers; it’s time for big girl panties!
Plot Summary: A young girl is growing up and is sick and tired of wearing diapers all of the time. Well, no more! This rhyming text showcases all of the different kinds of underwear available, and there’s lots of them. As well, it says who gets to wear them and who can’t. Sorry, crocodiles, panties just aren’t for you. However, big girls can, and the main character is ready!
Critical Evaluation: This is a fabulous look at a milestone for little girls, and it’s told in such a fun way. It’s intended to get toddlers excited about ditching the diaper and going for something that’s a little more ‘grown-up’. In that way, it’s highly successful, and the playful illustrations and rhyming text suggests that nothing could be more exciting than that moment. After all, not just anyone gets to graduate to big girl panties (again, sorry, crocodiles). The use of simple shapes for illustrating as well as popping colors on a muted background make this work seem very playful, and it’s very reminiscent of older Golden Books, but with graduated themes.
Why Included: This is such an empowering piece for toddlers and provides motivation for young girls to get into the grove of potty training. It reads like a great pep talk.
Age/Interest Level: 2-4 years
Lexile Level: 240L
Awards: N/A
Reader Annotation: A little girl is growing up. Down with diapers; it’s time for big girl panties!
Plot Summary: A young girl is growing up and is sick and tired of wearing diapers all of the time. Well, no more! This rhyming text showcases all of the different kinds of underwear available, and there’s lots of them. As well, it says who gets to wear them and who can’t. Sorry, crocodiles, panties just aren’t for you. However, big girls can, and the main character is ready!
Critical Evaluation: This is a fabulous look at a milestone for little girls, and it’s told in such a fun way. It’s intended to get toddlers excited about ditching the diaper and going for something that’s a little more ‘grown-up’. In that way, it’s highly successful, and the playful illustrations and rhyming text suggests that nothing could be more exciting than that moment. After all, not just anyone gets to graduate to big girl panties (again, sorry, crocodiles). The use of simple shapes for illustrating as well as popping colors on a muted background make this work seem very playful, and it’s very reminiscent of older Golden Books, but with graduated themes.
Why Included: This is such an empowering piece for toddlers and provides motivation for young girls to get into the grove of potty training. It reads like a great pep talk.