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AND, TOO, THE FOX

Name: AND, TOO, THE FOX
Author: Ada Limón
ISBN: 9798765639252

by Ada Limón ; illustrated by Gaby D'Alessandro ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2025

A grounded yet ethereal blend of verse and vulpine sentiments.

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An adaptation of U.S. Poet Laureate Limón’s poem about a day in the life of a fox.

The deceptively simple narrative follows the animal as he gambols across a field and wanders through wilderness and neighborhoods. Whimsical swirls of color suggesting that the fox has an almost magical quality vie with more mundane realities as the creature hunts, scrounges for food in trash cans, and relieves himself. Limón contemplates the animal’s inner life—his “work… / doesn’t seem / like work at all but play”—before acknowledging the less romantic aspects of his existence: “Fox lives on the edges, / pieces together / a living out of leftovers.” Toward the end, a pair of human silhouettes, perhaps stand-ins for readers, watch the fox in their garden, though the animal has little regard for people (he “never cares what you need / when you’re watching”). These statements make for a slightly melancholic ending despite the vibrant, flowery images that accompany the words throughout. Even so, the wonder and reverence conveyed through the text and the fluidity of the illustrations result in a smooth and calming experience that will leave readers awed at the beauty of nature.

A grounded yet ethereal blend of verse and vulpine sentiments. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025

ISBN: 9798765639252

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Carolrhoda

Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S POETRY

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by Ella Schwartz ; illustrated by Gaby D'Alessandro

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by Hilda Eunice Burgos ; illustrated by Gaby D'Alessandro

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DECOY SAVES OPENING DAY

by Shohei Ohtani & Michael Blank ; illustrated by Fanny Liem ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2026

A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts.

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Ohtani, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, teams up with Blank and Liem to tell the story of how his dog, Decoy, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.

It’s a big day! Decoy leaps “off the bed. Then back onto the bed. Then off the bed.” The enthusiastic pup heads outside to practice with his lucky baseball but is quickly distracted by squirrels (“we’ll play later!”), airplanes (“flyin’ high!”), and flowers (“smell ya soon!”). Dog and pitcher then head to the ballpark. In the locker room, Decoy high-paws Shohei’s teammates. It’s nearly time! But as Shohei prepares to warm up, Decoy realizes that he’s forgotten something important: his lucky ball. Without it, there will be “no championships, no parades, and no hot dogs!” Back home he goes, returning just in time. With Shohei at the plate, Decoy runs from the mound to his owner, rolling the ball into Shohei’s mitt for a “Striiiiike!” Related from a dog’s point of view, Ohtani and Blank’s energetic text lends the tale a sense of urgency and suspense. Liem’s illustrations capture the excitement of the first day of baseball season and the joys of locker room camaraderie, as well as Shohei and Decoy’s mutual affection—even when the ball is drenched in slobber, Shohei’s love for his pet shines through, and clearly, Decoy is focused when it matters.

A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026

ISBN: 9780063460775

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

by James Dean ; illustrated by James Dean ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among

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Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.

If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)