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Reviewed by Demetria Head for Readers' Favorite
Poppy’s Sweet Sibling Story by Madelyn Simon takes readers to the Mungo Bungo Jungle. Poppy sings on a vine while her friend Sloppy Blue Foot sings out loud and dances. Meanwhile, his sister, Suzie Blue Foot, watches in silence, convinced she could never match him. Poppy gently challenges the idea: “The Can-Cans weren’t always the Can-Cans—they began as the Cannots," and "Our name is toucan, not tou-cannot.” She reminds Suzie that trying is how you discover what you enjoy and how talents grow. To make the first step easier, Poppy offers a duet: Poppy will sing; Suzie can dance. The music lifts the whole jungle, and friends laugh, monarch butterflies swirl, and the rhythm carries everyone along. With encouragement, practice, and a spark of courage, can Suzie move from the sidelines to the spotlight without comparing herself to anyone else?
Book seven in the Poppy the Toucan series, this is a growth-mindset and pep talk story. Madelyn Simon writes in a clear, encouraging style with playful repetition. Michael Sherman’s watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations enliven the pages with motion and warmth. The jungle crowd scenes invite readers to participate with their call-and-response beats, and at the end of the story, there are simple butterfly facts that extend talk time after story time. This is a remarkable read-aloud story, with rhythms and gentle humor. Sing a chorus, and try a few steps, then ask, “What would you try next?” Readers who love confidence-building through performance in similar works like Giles Andreae’s Giraffes Can’t Dance or the try-something-new style in Andrea Beaty’s Questioneers books will feel right at home with Poppy’s Sweet Sibling Story.
