  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 02/15/2015 Bobbie and her cousin Joanie are best friends, even if Bobbie’s cluttered bedroom and hoarding tendencies are putting a strain on their relationship. Bobbie’s mother has had it, too, and she gives her a two-week deadline to get things cleaned up, or else Mom will clean things out herself. Bobbie has an idea for her room, and she resourcefully fulfills her vision with used objects, but that gets in the way of her downsizing plan. Desperate, she turns to Mom for help. Together they sort, repair, recycle, and remove, resulting in a navigable, glamorous big-kid bedroom perfect for entertaining Joanie. Bright, cheerful illustrations capture the clutter, and the breezy tone gently and efficiently delivers a stylish message: reduce, reuse, redecorate. Young readers should easily get the message about the benefits of repurposing. Pair this with Steven Kroll’s Stuff! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (2009) or Anna Alter’s What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe? (2009) to get kids on board with taking better care of the environment. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. School Library Journal - 02/01/2015 K-Gr 2—Bobbie is one of those kids who feel cozy in her room filled with clutter, but her mom has given her an ultimatum: "'I'll give you two weeks to decide what stays and what goes. After that, I get to decide.'" At first the child is enthusiastic; perhaps this is a chance to convert her "little-kid room" into a more sophisticated "Garden Party Room." But in the subsequent days, she makes no progress in eliminating any of her possessions. Instead, she begins to acquire even more stuff when she discovers other people's enticing castaways. One day her cousin Joanie loses a toy in the messy room, and when she abruptly leaves in anger, the necessity of a full scale clean-up project becomes clear to Bobbie. But how can a pack rat even begin such an overwhelming task? Fortunately her mom has a plan. Newman captures the little girl's spunk in the text and the playful illustrations and provides a wonderful solution for children who cannot part with things and those who are just plain sloppy. VERDICT This sweet story addresses a source of battles for many families.—Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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