Horse lovers, take note: This is a sweet, tender book to ride off into the sunset with.
Climb into the saddle of your imagination.
So you want to ride a horse? Who doesn’t! It’s really quite simple. All you have to do, advises this lovely book that proceeds at the rhythm of a gentle trot, is close your eyes and visualize the horse of your dreams. Think about your horse’s coloring, markings, shoes, and mane—braided or not? Then think of a name. The name’s important because you’ll want to call that horse of yours so you can go for a ride. If you’re ever so lucky, your steed will love you and greet you with “a nicker, a lick, a nudge” and “rest his splendid head on you.” Oh, and don’t forget to “slip him a peppermint,” which you should always carry in your pocket. The text proceeds with suggestions about how to groom horses and keep them clean and how to ride them carefully, safely, and joyously—if only in your mind’s eye. Readers who were already lovers of these gorgeous, wonderful creatures will find their fancies galloping away in delight. Others may well become instant equine converts as they pick up horse lore and facts aplenty and may eagerly trot toward other titles to learn more about their new favorite animals. The soft mixed-media illustrations suggest a landscape of the imagination with their muted palette.
Horse lovers, take note: This is a sweet, tender book to ride off into the sunset with. (information on horses, photos, author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780823456956
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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