Publisher's Weekly Review
When Alice, who has white skin, dark hair, and sports pink spectacles, wins a wagonload of lollipops in a school raffle, all of her classmates clamor for one: "Can I have one, too?" "Sure, if there's enough," says Alice. But her nonchalance strikes a definite chord: her peers respond first with panic ("There aren't enough?!"), then with bribes, threats, and sob stories ("I haven't had a lollipop since my last haircut," wails a shaggy kid), and even attempts to turn one classmate against another ("Don't count the New Kid. This prize is for your real classmates"). Player's (Paletero Man) digital cartooning uses a candy-hued palette to emphasize the school's escalating mania, with compositions that lean into the book's horizontal format offering a sense of the commotion's emotional and geographic sweep. Finally, Alice insists the kids line up for the treats, and sanity is restored: some realize that lollipops aren't such a big deal, apologies are proffered to offended parties, and it turns out there are more than enough to go around. Though Maynor (A House for Every Bird) plays it all for laughs, the story should spark conversations about scarcity mindset. Ages 4--7. Author's agent: Minju Chang, BookStop Literary. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Jan.)
Kirkus Review
A windfall of candy creates a philosophical dilemma for a kindhearted young girl. When Alice wins the school raffle, she receives "a basket of lollipops so big, the principal pulled it onstage in a wagon." She wants to share it with her classmates, but the elation of winning this sweet prize gives way to stress when it becomes clear that there may not be enough lollipops for everyone. Predictably, some students try to curry favor and sympathy with Alice, reminding her of their past acts of kindness toward her and regaling her with sob stories; "You're my only hope for candy till Halloween," one kid says mournfully. Other kids advise her to exclude certain students from her provision, claiming that the kindergarteners are too young to handle lollipops and suggesting that the new kids could be overlooked since Alice doesn't know them very well. As the clamor grows, Alice has to make some hard decisions and learn that you can't please everyone. Luckily, the candy crisis works itself out so that there are more than enough sweets to go around…but what to do with the leftovers? Maynor's writing is flavored with wit and wrapped in moral subtleties. Player's retro-styled illustrations tie the hues of the lollipops to the children's colorful attire but never go overboard; there's plenty of drama around the crushing candy saga without overplaying the visuals. There is some racial diversity to Alice's classmates, and one child uses a wheelchair. Alice reads as White. Even for the anti-confectionary crowd, a believable, relatable story that avoids a saccharine conclusion. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
After Alice wins a wagonful of lollipops in the school raffle, she is faced with the difficult task of doling out the lollipops and determining who will receive one. Maynor's humorous morality tale is accompanied by Player's vibrant, rainbow-hued bubblegum-pop illustrations, with readers following Alice's dilemma as she tries to remain fair but thoughtful and kind, as well. The vivid pictures have a Pixaresque quality, showcasing the range of emotions Alice's classmates have as the debate rages on. When the kids discover that all along there were enough lollipops to go around, they realize they were better off sharing in the first place, instead of arguing about who was worthy. All's well that ends well in this story, but young readers will learn to appreciate winning prizes--and more important, that it is fun to share them with friends. A unique story about decision-making and sharing that showcases the sweet and salty consequences of winning big.
