My Name is Not Isabella

This iconographic-animated short is based on the 2010 titular entry in author Jennifer Fosberry and illustrator Mike Litwin's series featuring elementary-school-aged Isabella—who doesn't want to be called Isabella. Throughout the day as her mother wakes her up, gets her breakfast and onto the bus, offers her an afterschool snack before homework, etc., little Isabella has a smarmy answer for everything. Get ready for school? “My name is not Isabella. My name is Sally Ride,” she says, birdwalking and imagining herself in an action role. The random name-dropping of strong female heroes here, including Annie Oakley, Rosa Parks, and Marie Curie, feels contrived and the dialogue is unnatural (“Who will help me set out the dishes for our fine meal?”), ultimately leading to a sentimental ending. Also featuring a read-along option and a bonus segment offering facts about the real-life women mentioned in the story, this is an optional purchase. Aud: K, E. P. (J. Williams-Wood)