Keisha Jones Takes on the World

by Natalie Denny, Chanté Timothy (Illustrator)

Brimming with ideas and passion, Keisha’s determined to stamp down injustices and stand up for what she believes…

When Grandpa Joe tells Keisha about Great Aunt Bee, who was a lawyer and an activist, Keisha is determined to follow in her footsteps. Forming the Bee Squad, she enlists her friends KD and Paisley to help put an end to inequality. Soon they have their first cause.

Incensed by the fact that her local pet shop is selling male rabbits for more than female ones, Keisha lobbies the manager who explains that he’s overrun with female rabbits. The cheaper price is just a sales incentive. Uh-uh. It’s time to stand up for rabbits’ rights. But mixing up the bunnies has consequences far beyond those Keisha could have imagined!

A funny and timely new series featuring a strong, brave-hearted girl, perfect for fans of DAISY AND THE TROUBLE WITH…, MIA MAYHEM, YASMIN! and LEONORA BOLT, SECRET INVENTOR.

144 pages, Paperback

Published August 3, 2023

Reviews

[Manic Booksy Dreamgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kind of Children's book that makes me jealous of kids today! This is such a sweet, funny and thoughtful read with a fantastic message about standing up for what you believe in.

Natalie Denny writes with such vibrance and heart. My six year old is super excited about being a part of the Bee Squad since i've been telling him about this book. The illustrations from Chante Timothy also add so much magic to this book. Just beautiful.

Don't hesitate to get this for your little ones.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Keisha finds out that her Great Aunt Bea was an activist, she sets up The Bee Squad with best friends KD and Paisley with plans to stand up for others and fight against injustice. They find out that female rabbits are being sold in the local pet shop for less than the male rabbits and set out to right this wrong. However, their plans don’t always work in quite the right way.

The book is written in a way that would be easy for children to read – the text is broken up with lists, email exchanges and illustrations that take away the pressure of pages full of text. A good early chapter book for those moving on from reading schemes.

The characters are a diverse mix and provide good representation for readers. The story has a noble message at its heart – anyone can stand up for what they believe in. However, the tactics that The Bee Squad employ are not always the most sensible and would provide a useful discussion point about the best way to have your views listened to in order to achieve your goals.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keisha Jones Takes on the World heralds the arrival of a bright and bold new voice in the world of children's fiction. Natalie Denny has created a thoroughly engaging central character; Keisha is funny, caring and brave. The book's biggest triumph, though, is the story. Inspired by the activism of her late Great-Aunt, Keisha sets out to find a cause and finds it, in all places, in the pet shop. The book introduces themes of social justice and equality to children of a young age, but does it in a way they can understand, through a fun-filled story and without preaching. Hopefully the book will spark many conversations between children and their parents, because it is never too early to start thinking and talking about equality, fairness and justice. This clever, valuable book is just the start of a series, and I for one, look forward to Keisha's next cause.

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a quiet mouse or a roaring lion? Keisha, the brave-hearted leading character in Natalie Denny’s Keisha Jones Takes On the World, is most certainly not a mouse, she is very much a lion and though she tries her best to stand up for others sometimes it can get her into trouble. Her story is funny, and it is also timely. At a time when we often hear in the news, on the television, radio and in the newspapers (though children will most likely hear about it at school) about injustices small and large, local and global, a book like this one can help children understand a little more about what it means to try and stand up against them.

Keisha is a young girl who is brim full of passion and ideas, a perfect combination. When her grandad tells her about her Great Aunt Bee, who was a lawyer as well as an activist Keisha decides that she wants to be just like her. It’s always good to have a role model, to want to follow in someone’s footsteps. Keisha forms ‘The Bee Squad’ with her friends Paisley and KD and it isn’t long before they have their first cause to fight for ~ the unequal cost of male and female rabbits in the local pet shop. It’s a good cause to fight but when they decide to mix up the bunnies the consequences are far beyond anything they could have imagined! Fantastically illustrated throughout by Chanté Timothy this is a lively, funny story that starts off a brand-new series exploring the actions of a strong, brave-hearted girl and her friends.