Jasper John Dooley, Star of the Week

February 1, 2012
Jasper, an early-elementary student, is finally Star of the Week, but his enthusiastic expectations may exceed the reality of all that accompanies the treasured position. Jasper's best friend Ori has a new baby sister. Jasper thinks of her as "purple" because of the color of her face, since all she does is wail. Ori, who likes to begin sentences with "The thing is...," is exhausted by the screaming-baby problem at his house. Still, Jasper--an only child--is a little jealous. Plum may be noisy, but she is more interesting than Earl, the wooden sibling Jasper builds, which he brings to school and imaginatively substitutes for a science experiment he forgot to create. His classmates are a bit nonplussed by his special Star of the Week show-and-tell item: A lint collection that includes the very rare father's-belly-button stuff he likes to harvest. Lots of believable dialogue enhances the brief, large-print presentation. Written for those who have just transitioned to chapter books, this series opener includes simple yet attractive black-and-white illustrations every few pages. Nothing major happens, but Jasper's day-to-day concerns are charming and funny. Readers will identify with many of Jasper's comical, age-appropriate issues as he navigates the sometimes confusing complications of early primary school. (Fiction. 5-8)

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March 1, 2012

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

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2012
Grades 2-4 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
Jasper is super excited about being class Star of the Week, but nothing goes right: no one understands his show-and-tell (a lint collection--from Dad's bellybutton), his family tree project is more like a "family stick," and his friend Ori's new baby sister is getting all the attention. Jasper's problems in this humorous, offbeat story will resonate with young readers.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)