TROOP ESME
by Lourdes Heuer
Illustrated by Marissa Valdez
Tundra Books
Chapter Book
80 pages
ages 7 to 10
Esme always has a plan. A funny and sweet early illustrated chapter book about a problem-solving girl who decides to start her own badge-earning troop . . . and makes a new friend along the way. For fans of Dory Fantasmagory.
Esme lives with her grandparents on the uppermost floor of the topmost best building. She has just met a future friend named Wendall who came to her door selling Troop Badger cookies. He is hoping to earn his Cookie Empresario badge. Esme thinks she would like to earn a Cookie Empresario badge too! One small she is not in Troop Badger. But Esme is a problem solver! She decides to start her own Troop Esme. It will include all the neighbors in the topmost best building. And her first act as troop leader? Help Wendall sell all his cookies, of course!
A funny and delightful story about cookies, badges and most importantly, friendship.
MY TIDBITS
Selling cookies and forming a troop turn into a big adventure and may bring a new friendship, too.
Esme is busy with her two friends, gazing out the window from her family's highest floor apartment, when they spy a boy named Wendall. Esme's never met him before but intrigued from determination to sell Troop Badger cookies and earn a badge. First, she forms her own troop. Then, it's off to help him sell the needed one last box of cookies. It should be easy, but things don't turn out as she expected.
This tale follows a very energetic girl and her amazing determination to help someone out. She's like a little whirlwind as she goes from one neighbor to the next with Wendall at her side, and it's hard not to like her and be a little inspired. Each of the neighbors holds quirky characteristics and personalities to make every moment a surprise while adding in a good-sized portion of humor. The story does take a round-about way of steering the plot, and instead, does more of a situation to situation through the chapters. So it meanders while giving the characters tons of personality.
Beginning readers, who are pretty sure of their words, will enjoy the short sentences, larger font, and lighter amount of text on each page. Even the chapters are kept short to allow for plenty of pauses during the read. While these aspects make it an easy read, more than a couple tougher vocabulary words and terms are tossed in. A few of these might require a little assistance from older readers.
The illustrations are bright, bold, and carry the story as much, if not more, than the text. Not only do these bring across the atmosphere, scenes, and character personalities nicely but also pack humor. They also work as a great crutch to help understand the tale if the reader does need a little guidance on their own.
It's a fun read with energy and friendship goodness.
And here they are...
LOURDES HEUER is a children’s book author and poet. She was born in Spain to Cuban immigrant parents, then moved to the United States in 1984. She holds an M.F.A. in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is an Associate Professor of English at Broward College. She is the author of On This Airplane and Esme’s Birthday Conga Line. Lourdes lives in South Florida with her husband, son and three dogs.
Originally from South Texas, MARISSA VALDEZ is a two times #1 New York Times bestselling children’s book illustrator and author. She’s a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where she received a B.F.A. in Animation. She loves to illustrate stories that are overflowing with humor, wit and totally out-there situations. In her spare time, Marissa gets her illustration inspiration by wandering around natural science museums, watching super-cool dinosaur documentaries and playing with her two fat cats in Birmingham, UK.
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