Jazlyn J’s Birthday Celebration. Renná Bruce. Illustrated by Robin Oakes. Guelph, ON: Jazlyn J and Company Inc.(www.jazlynj.com), 2002. 24 pp., stapled, $6.95. ISBN 978-1-894933-01-X. Subject Headings: Birthdays-Juvenile fiction. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Tristin Burrows. ** /4

Jazlyn J’s Ideal Instrument. Renná Bruce. Illustrated by Robin Oakes. Guelph, ON: Jazlyn J and Company Inc.(www.jazlynj.com), 2003. 32 pp., stapled, $6.95. ISBN 978-1-894933-08-7. Subject Heading: Musical instruments-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Tristin Burrows. ** /4

Jazlyn J’s Birthday Celebration and Jazlyn J’s Ideal Instrument are picturebooks that feature seven-year-old Jazlyn J as she experiences the everyday excitement from picking an instrument for the school band or celebrating her birthday.

     At 7 a.m. on July 7th, Jazlyn J woke up and smiled. This is it, she thought. Today is my birthday! As you read on can you guess how old she is?

     In Jazlyn J’s Ideal Instrument, Jazlyn’s teacher begins a class band where all students are invited to choose their perfect instrument at the local music store. Full of excitement, Jazlyn and her mom rush to Mr. Mike’s music store where they meet Mr. Mike and many of the other students from class. Each child searches for an instrument that matches her/his personal style. Mr. Mike advises them on what kind of sound each instrument makes, and at last the saxophone, clarinet, drums, trombone, violin, flute, violin and guitar are all chosen by various classmates. After exploring many of the instruments, Jazlyn finds her ideal instrument…the harmonica. Once they arrive home, Jazlyn and her family share their favourite parts of their days (something that the family really looked forward to), and Jazlyn and her mom share their excitement about their trip to Mr. Mike’s music store. At the end of the book, the question is posed to the reader, “What would be your ideal instrument?”

     Both Jazlyn J books are simple and positively told stories about everyday life. Both books are conflict-free and project a very strong message of parental involvement and communication. These books would be a good springboard for conversation with parents, but, at times, they read more like a how-to manual on how to talk to your child, rather than a children’s picture book. Jazlyn and her parents appear to never disagree or even problem solve for that matter, and the sweet attentiveness of the child-parent dialogue lacks believability at times. Overall, both stories lack any tension or drama but do paint a straightforward picture of everyday life in Jazlyn J’s world.

     The illustrations throughout the book are bright and bold. The over-caricaturing of the characters however, creates cartoon-like personas that lack sincerity.

Recommended.

Tristin Burrows is an elementary school teacher with a passion for literature. She lives in Winnipeg, MB, with her dog, Bruin.

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